Jul 15
2026

Brochure Cover.

Since 1996, the Cemetery Commission of the Canton of Basel-Stadt has awarded prizes to gravestones of outstanding artistic and craftsmanship on All Saints’ Day. All gravestones for urn and in-ground burials from the previous two years are considered. This year, five particularly artistic gravestones in the Hörnli Cemetery and the sculptors responsible for them are being honored. A brochure showcases them; we present the descriptions in abbreviated form.

“Artistically designed gravestones stand out due to their exceptional expressiveness and individuality – a symbiosis of form, material, and symbolism that makes emotions visible,” writes the head of the city’s horticultural department in the brochure. “They impressively demonstrate how art and remembrance can harmoniously coexist, and the power a lovingly designed gravestone can unleash. ”

This time, the jury of the Basel-Stadt Cemetery Commission examined 302 gravestones. Five of them were recognized as exemplary in their craftsmanship and artistry.

Download Brochure (German)

Friedhöfe Basel (German)

List of award-winning tombs

The cat, in an almost Egyptian seated position, inclines its head sweetly and reverently toward the name of the deceased, as if reading her memories. This gesture and the well-proportioned figurative representation testify to the sculptor's skill and reflect, on a small scale, the dramatic Romanticism once found in the grand monuments of the old monumental cemeteries of Genoa or Vienna. Sculptor‘s studio: Bildhauerei Weisskopf The cat, in an almost Egyptian seated position, inclines its head sweetly and reverently toward the name of the deceased, as if reading her memories. This gesture and the well-proportioned figurative representation testify to the sculptor’s skill and reflect, on a small scale, the dramatic Romanticism once found in the grand monuments of the old monumental cemeteries of Genoa or Vienna.
Material: Comblanchien, French Jurassic limestone from Burgundy.
Text: Stefan Mesmer-Edelmann
Sculptor‘s studio: Bildhauerei Weisskopf
 

On this stone, which features a gently rounded top, the sharply carved, flush-mounted relief lettering and the motifs requested by the client are combined into a harmonious whole with remarkable craftsmanship and a keen sense of proportion. The interplay between the raised forms of the inscription and the stamped-like recessed motifs conveys a striking aesthetic using simple design elements. Sculptor: Marius KnupferOn this stone, which features a gently rounded top, the sharply carved, flush-mounted relief lettering and the motifs requested by the client are combined into a harmonious whole with remarkable craftsmanship and a keen sense of proportion. The interplay between the raised forms of the inscription and the stamped-like recessed motifs conveys a striking aesthetic using simple design elements.
Material: Jura limestone, honed
Text: Pawel Ferus
Sculptor: Marius Knupfer
 

A classic freestanding tomb, in which, however, it is not only the front that has been carefully designed: The relief band featuring five-petaled flowers also wraps around the narrow sides, evoking the image of a wreath of flowers encircling the stone. The surfaces are skillfully carved at an angle, and its edges are finely chamfered. The precisely executed Antiqua engraving is outlined in red to complement the stone’s soft beige tone. Sculptor: Martin SchmidA classic freestanding tomb, in which, however, it is not only the front that has been carefully designed: The relief band featuring five-petaled flowers also wraps around the narrow sides, evoking the image of a wreath of flowers encircling the stone. The surfaces are skillfully carved at an angle, and its edges are finely chamfered. The precisely executed Antiqua engraving is outlined in red to complement the stone’s soft beige tone.
Material: Liesberg limestone
Text: Rebekka Brandenberger
Sculptor: Martin Schmid
 

The inscription is carved into the surface as a relief, causing the letters to stand out in three dimensions while remaining integrated with the stone’s organic texture. Two recessed spaces accentuate the tension between the first names. The handcrafted lettering has a sculptural quality; its closely spaced letters merge into a composition that corresponds with the stone’s grain. This creates a highly expressive whole. Sculptor: Giorgio CaslaniThe inscription is carved into the surface as a relief, causing the letters to stand out in three dimensions while remaining integrated with the stone’s organic texture. Two recessed spaces accentuate the tension between the first names. The handcrafted lettering has a sculptural quality; its closely spaced letters merge into a composition that corresponds with the stone’s grain. This creates a highly expressive whole.
Material: Saint-Michel limestone, France
Text: Sonja Feldmeier
Sculptor: Giorgio Caslani
 

The monument, which has no base, consists of three loosely arranged stone blocks. Two vertically standing blocks, driven into the ground at different angles like two stakes, frame the block in the foreground bearing the name and dates of the deceased. The greenish-black color and the dynamic veining of the stone give the monument an elegant and vibrant appearance. With its duality of simple design and diverse interpretive possibilities, it represents a successful contribution to contemporary funerary art. Sculptor: Philipp KäppeliThe monument, which has no base, consists of three loosely arranged stone blocks. Two vertically standing blocks, driven into the ground at different angles like two stakes, frame the block in the foreground bearing the name and dates of the deceased. The greenish-black color and the dynamic veining of the stone give the monument an elegant and vibrant appearance. With its duality of simple design and diverse interpretive possibilities, it represents a successful contribution to contemporary funerary art.
Material: Hospental serpentine
Text: Philipp Schallnau
Sculptor: Philipp Käppeli