The Mausoleum of Prince Alexander Battenberg

The Mausoleum of Prince Alexander Battenberg (1857 – 1893)  is the final resting place of  Modern Bulgaria’s first head of state. The Memorial Thumb is located at 81 Blvd. Vasil Levski, not far from the Sofia University.

Prince Battenberg died in exile in Graz, Austria and he was initially buried there. But in accordance with his wish his body was transferred to Bulgaria and moved to the newly constructed mausoleum in the center of the city. The state funeral was attended by the new prince Ferdinand and a lot of Bulgarians.

During the Communist rule the Mausoleum was closed. It was reopened for the public in 1991.

The small building with its copper dome exhibits also some of Alexander’s private possessions and papers, donated by his wife Johanna Loisinger in 1937.

The Mausoleum is 11 meters in height and 80 square meters in area and is designed by a Swiss architect in the eclectic style with prominent elements of Neo-Baroque and Neoclassicism. The interior was painted by the famous Bulgarian artist Haralampi Tachev.