AfterLife Posts

A single Jewish tomb reminds visitors of the multi-denominational character of Buenos Aires. Although it sits unoccupied today, this iswas the only tomb in Recoleta Cemetery decorated with a Star of David:

When the cemetery was founded in 1822, the majority of the city’s population was Catholic so it was blessed accordingly. During the presidency of Bartolomé Mitre the blessing was officially removed when he insisted that a prominent member of the Masonic Order be buried there. Or so the story goes. These days, all public cemeteries in Buenos Aires are non-denominational. However given the conservative class of the families present, Recoleta Cemetery remains 99% Catholic.

Not much is known about Benjamín Breitman or how he came to purchase a plot, but the history of Jewish burials in Argentina began with the establishment of the community in Argentina. Founded in the 1860s the Templo Libertad on Plaza Lavalle may not be the oldest synagogue in Buenos Aires, but it was the most important for early Jewish immigrants:

Jewish tradition foregoes ostentatious burials, given that all are equal after death. The largest non-Catholic cemetery during the early years of the Jewish community in Buenos Aires was the Cementerio de Victoria (now Plaza 1º de Mayo). Sponsored mainly by the Protestant community & 50% funded by the UK, Jews & Protestants were buried together at the same location. Popularly referred to as the Cementerio de los Disidentes, it filled to capacity during the 1871 yellow fever epidemic. Back then if you weren’t Catholic, then you must be a dissident.

The Jewish community had an opportunity to claim part of Chacarita Cemetery when it opened but opted to wait for their own burial ground. In 1912 the Cementerio de Liniers opened (actually just outside the city limits of Buenos Aires) exclusively for Jews & was mainly for those of Ashkenazi descent. Being buried there still remains a sign of high status within the community. Jews of Moroccan descent—many referred to as “impure” based on their connections with the mafia—opened a cemetery south of Buenos Aires in Avellaneda. It is currently closed. In 1936, another cemetery was opened for poorer Jews in Tablada & the newest cemetery in Ciudadela is typically for those of Sephardic descent. All these cemeteries are closed to visitors.

Jewish funeral rites are unique but unfortunately beyond the scope of this blog. Many thanks to Leonor Slavsky for sharing her investigations at talks sponsored by the Instituto Histórico.

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Update (30 Jul 2010): Earlier this year the plaque with the Star of David on the Benjamín Breitman family tomb was removed. Reasons are unknown for the removal, but Marcelo unexpectedly found another vault with possible Jewish symbolism.

Update (18 mar 2011): According to a comment below, the plaque fell from the tomb from neglect & is now stored in the Administration office for safekeeping.

Update (31 May 2013): According to the Find A Grave website, Benjamín Breitman passed away on 04 Mar 2012 & was buried in his family tomb the following day. Thanks to Raúl for the info!

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Just finished updating the Monumento Histórico Nacional page & it was like writing several posts.

Besides naming all tombs considered part of the nation’s heritage, the list is now ordered by year. Some surprising trends appeared when looking at the list in that way. Reading the decrees also took a considerable amount of time, but it was well worthwhile to compare different governments & their attitude toward Recoleta Cemetery & conservation. Especially bizarre is that since democracy was restored in 1983 not a single tomb was added to the national heritage list until 2007. No wonder the place was falling apart.

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Most people eagerly say that Recoleta Cemetery was the first public burial ground in Buenos Aires. While true, much more needs to be explained. The city was founded in 1580 & Recoleta Cemetery opened in 1822, so where were its citizens buried for those missing 242 years? The answer can be found by examining traditions of Spanish Catholics who lived during that time in Buenos Aires.

When Constantine adopted Christianity, he also began the practice of burials inside the church itself. Can’t get much closer to God than that. Over time, sectors developed within the walls to differentiate the poor from the rich. Tombstones cover the floors of churches in southern Europe, & gated chapels sponsored/reserved for certain families are common. With the development of the camposanto (literally, “holy field”) located on grounds just outside the church walls, those who couldn’t afford to be inside were also given a place to rest in peace.

Allocation of church space based on wealth arrived in Buenos Aires along with the first Spanish settlers. Families aligned themselves with various religious orders to secure privileged positions. The exact spot may not have been specially marked, but families always went to a certain location for mass & knelt for prayer. Remember that Catholic churches did not have pews at that time.

A few documents from early Buenos Aires have survived & attest to a great deal of care given to funeral services. A certain amount of exhibitionism appealed to the vanity of the upper class; instructions were given for the funeral procession to follow a specific route past the residence & workplace of the deceased so everyone could say their last respects. Some people left disproportionately high sums to the church for their last rites. And the most requested spot for burial was by the fountain of holy water at the entrance… all the extra drops would land on the tomb of the deceased as a bonus. No kidding.

So who ended up where?

The poorest of the poor, if not left dead on the streets of Buenos Aires, were deposited in the Hueco de las Ánimas (loosely translated as the “pit for wandering souls”) where the Banco de la Nación now sits on Plaza de Mayo. At the opposite end of the spectrum, bishops & VIPs were buried in the crypt of the cathedral. A number of early independence figures are there as well as Virrey del Pino. Archbishops were & continue to be buried in various chapels. Guided visits are the only way to access the crypt:

Other downtown churches have their share important people. The crypt of the Iglesia de San Francisco can be found under where the main altar once stood but no public access is allowed. Approximately 200 people are buried there, mainly Franciscan monks, but former Vice President Mariano Acosta joined them. The adjacent Capilla San Roque also contains a small crypt.

Portuguese ambassador João Manoel de Figueiredo, who first recognized Argentine independence, is buried in the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. The parents of General Manuel Belgrano lie under the side stairs approaching the main altar, & the man himself is buried in the patio of the church for all to see. Prior to the large sculpture, Belgrano was buried just outside the main entrance:

Inside the church, an homage written by Liniers to Martín de Álzaga can be found on what is supposed to be his tomb. Most likely he is in Recoleta Cemetery, but two locations other than the Iglesia de Santo Domingo claim to have the remains of Álzaga:

During the invasion of 1806, British soldiers killed in battle were buried in the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista in spite of the fact that they were not Catholic. The off-limits cloister served as a makeshift hospital so many were buried onsite.

So 242 years of burials took place in churches, & many important historical figures can be found scattered around downtown Buenos Aires. It just takes a bit of investigation to find out where they are located. Recoleta Cemetery has existed almost since Argentina became a nation… but the city’s history began much earlier.

Some content of this post from Julio Cacciatore’s Las Ciudades de los Muertos lecture on 02 May 2008.

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