The Ohlsdorf Cemetery was established in 1877 as a non-denominational burial site.
Two different landscaping trends contributed to the current aspect of the cemetery. The first architect was Wilhelm Cordes (1840-1917), of national and international renown, who worked 38 years to create a "garden cemetery". The cemetery was expanded after World War I, on the basis of a project by Otto Linne (1869-1937), with strict architectural layouts and grave plots considered as basic units.

Both sections of the cemetery are suggestive of extensive walks, especially so in the Old Hamburg Memorial Cemetery, the Rose Garden and, more recently, the Women's Garden.
In addition, there are several memorial sites for war casualties and the victims of tyranny and oppression. There is evidence that almost 330 architects and sculptors contributed their work.
Since 1996, a small historical building hosts a funerary museum.