Graveyard Tour: Epitaphs
Grabinschriften: German Epitaphs
Also see: Graveyard Vocabulary
You are here:
Graveyard Project > Epitaphs > Sample Epitaphs
Grabinschriften • Epitaphs
Hier ruhen meine Gebeine,
ich wollt’ es wären Deine.*
Introduction
Most gravestones or grave markers bear little more than the late person's name and dates of life, perhaps with a brief R.I.P., Hier ruht..., or Ruhe in Frieden (rest in peace). But there are those interesting exceptions with a real epitaph, which one wag has termed “a belated advertisement for a line of goods that has been discontinued” (Irvin S. Cobb).
Peter Lorre should have a great epitaph!
Could you write him a good one?
FOTO: Hyde Flippo
The word “epitaph” comes from the Greek epitaphion, meaning “upon (epi) the tomb (taphos).” German uses the word (das Epitaph) in formal or literary situations, but the more common German word is die Grabinschrift.
Epitaphs, both ancient and modern, come in several varieties. They can be humorous, poetic, sappy, egotistical, or mundane. Paul Eldridge (1888-1982) came up with this quotable observation about epitaphs: “Reading the epitaphs, our only salvation lies in resurrecting the dead and burying the living.” (Liest man die Grabinschriften, dann liegt unser Heil nur in Wiederbelebung der Toten und Beerdigung der Lebenden.)
On the next page you can read examples of epitaphs in German and English.
*English: "Here rest my bones, I wish they were yours."
NEXT > Sample Epitaphs
BACK > Graveyard Project | Graveyard Vocabulary
Related Pages
Halloween in Germany
A look at this October holiday and its celebration in German Europe.
Bräuche: Oktober
A look at holidays and holiday vocabulary for the month of October.
Feiertag-Kalender
An annotated calendar of celebrations and holidays in German Europe.
More Glossaries
English-German glossaries on a variety of topics, from your Guide.
MORE > Halloween Activities for German
German Newsletters
Subscribe to a free newsletter!
OUR GERMAN FORUMS