First columbarium in Mecklenburg: Innovative burial project opened

First columbarium in Mecklenburg: Innovative burial project opened

A ray of sunlight falls comfortably through the colorful glass window of the chapel on the Kirch Stücker cemetery and illuminates the parish's newest project: a columbarium. This represents a modern alternative to the traditional earth or urn grave and offers an easy-care place for the final resting place. The beginnings of the columbarium go back much further; the burial of urns has a tradition that goes back thousands of years in Europe, but was severely restricted for a long time by the spread of Christianity infranken reported.

So far there are 30 compartments in the new columbarium, which have remained unused except for two spaces that have already been reserved, according to the chairman of the support association, Jürgen Hansen. He emphasizes the importance of the project: It is the first columbarium in western Mecklenburg and is increasingly proving to be a popular option for relatives who do not want to choose a classic burial site. The chapel, which was left to fall into disrepair for a long time and had been empty since 1945, now shines in new splendor. This is mainly thanks to the architect Wolfram Keßler, who designed the urn cabinets made of Corten steel and cleverly integrated parts of the old ceiling painting to create a harmonious space.

Expanding accessibility

In order to make appropriate use of the new mourning space, the parish is also planning a new walkway to the church. Access to the columbarium is currently only reserved for relatives who receive a key. The location of the urns is intended for at least 20 years before they are buried in the cemetery if necessary.

The demand for columbaria is generally increasing. In the Diocese of Osnabrück, for example, four new urn burial sites were recently opened in churches. Architects of such projects often inquire about existing columbariums to get ideas for functionality and design. In the St. Josef Columbarium in Belm, for example, which was rebuilt in 2021/22, there are 1,440 urn compartments that offer space for flowers and candles, and the whole room exudes an atmosphere of sadness and hope dabonline is documented.

Columbaria through the ages

A columbarium is much more than just a place to store urns. Many churches and cemeteries in Germany are recognizing the trend towards urn burial and are responding to it with more and more offerings. The first crematorium opened in Gotha in 1878, and within a few years it had to be supplemented by an independent columbarium. Columbaria can currently be found in many cities in Germany, including Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Berlin, although the trend towards urn burials continues to increase. Nowadays it is often even permitted to bury urns in state cemeteries infranken summarizes.

The development of the columbaria shows that many churches recognize this space as part of their culture of mourning. The Kirch Stücker cemetery is no exception. The new columbarium creates a contemporary approach to mourning and remembering the deceased that meets the needs of people today. So it will continue to be a place of remembrance and meeting in the future.