Talking Gravestones of Föhr
The Talking Gravestones (German: Sprechende Grabsteine) of Föhr, also known as the Story-telling Gravestones (Erzählende Grabsteine), are historic artifacts on the German island of Föhr. They can be found in the cemeteries of St. Laurentii church in Süderende (54°42′59″N 8°26′07″E / 54.7163°N 8.4352°E), St. Johannes church in Nieblum (54°41′36″N 8°29′28″E / 54.6934°N 8.4911°E), and St. Nikolai church in Boldixum (54°41′45″N 8°33′01″E / 54.6958°N 8.5504°E), which is now a district of Wyk auf Föhr. Similar objects are known from the neighbour island of Amrum. All such headstones made until 1870 are designated cultural heritage monuments. Their inscriptions tell the biographies of the deceased including their private and professional lives, extraordinary events, and honorary appointments. With 265 monuments, the St. Johannis cemetery has the largest inventory of historical gravestones in Nordfriesland district. The best-known tombstone is the one of Matthias Petersen who was a very successful whaling captain and was therefore dubbed "Lucky Matthew" (der glückliche Matthias). The only ornamental decoration on this stone is a circular relief depicting the goddess of fortune upon a swimming whale in the style of a coat of arms. It features the only inscription completely in Latin language in the cemetery of Süderende, which relates that Petersen who died in 1706 caught 373 whales during his lifetime.
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