In 1908-09, the southern cemetery, the second largest burial ground after the northern cemetery at 33 hectares, was laid out on an extensive ridge near the border with Erbenheim. Early historical finds indicate that the area was already used for burial purposes in the early Bronze Age.

Following the Baroque pattern, the avenue leading to the main entrance in the north-west, Friedenstraße, is extended into the broad main axis of the cemetery, which is lined with columnar trees of life in its upper section and is reminiscent of a processional route. The almost trapezoidal cemetery and the circular path, which is interrupted by roundels at the crossroads, are further characteristics. A wide green strip on both sides of the main axis leads into a field of honor for the fallen of the First World War.

A large number of historical tombs, especially from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as representative burial sites along the Ringweg, at the roundels and along the main axis characterize the southern cemetery; the most famous is the tomb of Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen.

At the center of the prestigious ensemble of buildings on the northwest side of the cemetery, designed by city architect August O. Pauly, is the funeral hall, inaugurated in 1911, with the crematorium in the basement. The latter could only be put into operation in 1912, after the legal requirements for cremation had been created in Prussia, and was replaced by a new building on Siegfriedring in 1997. The interior of the three-aisled funeral hall is in the Art Nouveau style; the Wiesbaden artists Hanna and Hans Völcker and Carl Wilhelm Bierbrauer, among others, were instrumental in its design. The overall impression of the interior is reminiscent of early Christian church interiors. The financing of the elaborate furnishings was made possible by a foundation, which is commemorated by a memorial plaque.