Commissioned by the then French prefect Jeanbon St. André and officially inaugurated at the end of May 1803, the main cemetery has long been an impressive testament to Mainz's city history. And an excellent one at that: in 2005, the Aureus, as the area is also known, was included in the list of the most significant cemeteries in Europe by the European Association of Significant Cemeteries. In 2012 and 2016, it made it into the top 5 of the Bestattungen Award. Its park-like character further underlines its status as a true landmark of the city.