Rathenau Family Tomb (1903)

Symbol of Solidarity – The growing industrial area became home to many people around 1900. AEG founder Emil Rathenau had the Forest Cemetery built for the fledgling community. His own family tomb is visible from the entrance gate. It was designed by an architect with a social bent: Alfred Messel. He built model social housing for “the common man” and became famous for his design of a Wertheim department store. The tomb contains the remains of Emil Rathenau (d. 1915), his wife Mathilde (d. 1926), and their son Erich (d. 1903). Erich took charge of the AEG Cable Works as a young man and was his father’s great hope. Yet he died on a trip to Egypt and was one of the first to be buried in the cemetery. Emil’s son Walther Rathenau (d. 1922), who served as German foreign minister, is also buried there. The Jewish politician was assassinated in the Grunewald district of Berlin, after the nationalist press called more-or-less openly for his death.