8

A burial ground without crosses

“This is a land of heathen, darker and harsher that Afrika or India” thus fulminated pastor Hermann Priebe in 1929 and referred to the graveyard of the Freireligiöse Gemeinde (Free religious community) at the Pappelallee in today’s Helmholzkiez (Helmholz quarter): “It belongs to proletarian libertines who adhere the most blatant atheism and are sworn enemies of all religion …”
In fact, “The world rules itself with laws eternal” is the guiding principle in the ceremonial hall and this describes a fundamental spiritual attitude that included the avoidance of religious convictions and not least of the church itself as an institution. After its founding on 1845, apart from excommunicated or seceded members of the Catholic church it was reform-minded Protestants and secular Jews who became members of the Freireligiöse Gemeinde. Later, social democrats like Heinrich Roller were important members. Roller in 1875 invented his own stenography system which he called Weltkurzschrift (World Shorthand). Roller’s signet, a winged quill, graces his striking grave that is flanked by the sculpture of a woman holding a pen.
In the mid-1800s, shorthand was the fastest and most modern method of taking notes. Since the Freireligiöse Gemeinde was deemed suspicious and therefore was subjected to permanent police surveillance, Roller’s invention was of particular importance. The community hired a stenographer who prepared minutes of all meetings as a measure against false reports.