Saxony-Anhalt: New burial law causes controversy and criticism

Saxony-Anhalt: New burial law causes controversy and criticism

In Saxony-Anhalt, a year-long process has now led to a new burial law. On Thursday, the state parliament voted for a comprehensive amendment to the law on corpses, burials and cemeteries, which is described as an important step towards contemporary and intercultural burial law. The draft law enables, among other things, Cloth burial, i.e. burial without a coffin, and regulates the removal of small amounts of ashes for memorabilia such as memorial diamonds.

Social Minister Petra Grimm-Benne (SPD) emphasized that the new law takes religious and cultural needs more into account. But not everyone agrees with the changes. The Catholic Church expresses concerns, particularly about Removal of ash for private memorabilia, which could individualize and privatize grief. Mathias Bethke, head of the Catholic office in Saxony-Anhalt, says that the removal of up to five grams of ashes is a step in the wrong direction.

Criticism of new regulations

The Catholic Church fears that the changes could mean the same in the future, without preserving the graves as public places to cope with grief. The new regulation stipulates that the deceased must decide to have their ashes removed themselves. This should then make it possible to process parts of the ashes into jewelry.

Also new in the funeral law is the obligation for maternity hospitals to ensure a dignified burial star children if the parents do not arrange this themselves. It was also decided that a second postmortem examination must be carried out in the case of earth burials in order to uncover possible unrecognized causes of death.

Reactions and outlook

There were different reactions to the new law from the political ranks. While Tobias Krull (CDU) described it as significant progress for funeral culture, Cornelia Lüddemann (Alliance 90/The Greens) criticized the law as a half-hearted compromise and called for bolder changes. On the other hand, Katrin Gensecke (SPD) emphasized the respectful treatment of religious beliefs and the associated opening of the law.

Overall, it can be seen that the funeral law in Saxony-Anhalt not only comes with new regulations, but also triggers heated debates about the correct way to deal with grief and remembrance. The reforms, which were also passed in Rhineland-Palatinate at the same time, could be groundbreaking for the future burial culture in Germany.