Changes in Burial Culture

The trend of changing from casket burial (Erdbestattung) to cremation (Urnenbestattung) has dramatic consequences for the maintenance of cemeteries. Red Baron went to a presentation explaining the development in Freiburg.

The introductory talk by Freiburg's mayor of finances, Stefan Breiter, was followed by a long walk over the 27 ha (66 acres) main cemetery.

Hainbestattung

Mr. Martin Leser, the head of Freiburg's cemeteries (a total of 17 !), showed that less surface is needed for burials when nowadays 70% of the people opt for cremation or even have the ashes of their defuncts spread in a grove (Hainbestattung). Ten years ago, still, 70% preferred a casket burial.

It was Elisabeth's wish to be buried traditionally.

Pebble pond and letterbox

 We also passed by the fetus burial area. Parents had asked the municipal council for a possibility to express their mourning. Following existing examples, Freiburg's cemetery administration introduced a pond of pebbles. Parents may label the individual stones and write the last letter to their lost babies.

Within ten years, Freiburg's main cemetery has become greener.

The final discussion took place at the central consecration hall. We were informed that the cemetery administration is working on a new financing scheme due to less revenue but an increasing workload maintaining more and smaller lawn surfaces between existing and remaining burial sites*.
*At Freiburg, plots are" bought" for 15 years. If the burial lease is not renewed, the site is vacated.

Temporary use for unneeded surfaces: Gardening, pet cemetery, and bees.

Some participants proposed during the discussion that lawn mowing is stopped and wildflowers are allowed to grow to reduce costs.

Here Red Baron learned that meadows need Magerböden (poor soils) while the earth at the cemetery is fertile, as required for lawns. This is why in one case, peripherally located plots were liberated and alloted to private gardening (Schrebergärten).

In the end, Mr. Leser summarized his talk:

Cemeteries are central places of mourning and remembrance and should remain so!

Present-day societies require multicultural cemeteries to meet the burial needs of different ethnic and religious groups.

Cemeteries will change their appearance by choosing more and more easy-care burials.

Cemeteries must continue to fulfill their function as monofunctional green spaces.

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