Let's Talk about the German Funeral Industry

[@vsmash2]

From my own asking around international friends, I find it interesting how REALLY popular cremation is here in Germany, comparatively speaking of course. I personally would like the restrictions on handling of ashes loosened. Not into complete anarchy, I am german myself after all and there must be order, but i do not see the logic of handling ashes the same way as one would a full on corpse.

[@darksparkle9849]

I work in funeral care in Germany. Forest burials are increasingly popular here. Only an urn can be buried at the foot of a tree, and there are lots of privately owned burial forests. It’s so popular though, that now many state-run cemeteries have a little forest in one corner. Also, there’s another workaround to the ashes at home situation: there’s a Swiss company which has an office in Germany, and the crematorium can send the urn to them, and they send it on to the family. The family purchases a grave site in Switzerland and signs a paper that at some unspecified point in the future, the urn will be buried there. Of course totally unenforceable. There’s no need to be cremated abroad and that’s expensive and cumbersome anyway. Also, many funeral directors will indeed give the urn over to the family if requested, they just don’t advertise this. 😉😅⚱️

[@lauranolan1969]

Sometimes it seems the governments (everywhere....) become so microfocussed on non issues, and just can't stop that overreach on a topic that shouldn't be regulated much in the first place. I mean...when there are so many actual large issues for government to mind....yikes. So much comes down to the almighty dollar regardless of the country or state. It becomes ridiculous in my opinion.❤ Great talk thank you.

[@Arshva]

Darn, I should try to die back home then.

[@MonikaM-li6xy]

Very interesting for me as a German. Would be typical absurdity if they made a law in my place that a body had to be buried within six weeks when it is difficult to get a death certificate in that time unless you pay a funeral home to get it for you, because the administration offices are so slow! 2:45 Haha, nowadays, the only reason is money. Donating your body to BodyWorlds is an option to avoid costs, too.

[@vandreadsims01]

I'm really enjoying this channel so far. I've always been curious about how death care was run in Kowloon Walled City because all I get on Google is the death of the city itself. Considering the architecture of the city itself I can't imagine that burials were very popular.

[@Roda_B.G.]

Also a rule is that you need a Baugenemigung for a grave stone. Yes that is also what you need to build a house. Also you can I think buy yourself longer time in a grave. Our Family grave had no one buried in it for over 20 years, but we still have it even though the cemety has 15 jears as a turnover time. Pretty sure thats because it is a family grave with over 15 people buried in it.

[@Roda_B.G.]

Its not historical. Its pretty dam ugly to be onest (50s style but in the really bad way) and in fact on the grave stone only the Family name stands and no induvidual person. But it is known and of corse recorded who is buried there.

[@carpenoctem1182]

Thank you for this video! My father is very elderly and unfortunately i need to start to think about this stuff since i dont live there

[@monikasmithsonian2985]

Im so sorry, if we are the most efficent, what is going on in the rest of the world Its literally easier to open a funeral home than to open a restaurant

[@TabooEducation]

Haha yeah I am very aware the efficiency stereotype is just that. I've heard many stories of how beaucracy is a nightmare over there. But still doing better then many countries that's for sure 😁

[@mallbratgirl_3005]

wow, new fave channel, you are so underrated- filling my thirst for death knowledge as i loop caitlin's discography for the nth time lmao. super interesting, looking forward to watching more of this series because it's a gap in what caitlin covers that is a hole in my knowledge that really needs to be filled- you're so right that she has skewed it to be very america centric with what people generally know about the funeral industry, that's what she does so no hate i love her, but more perspective in the sphere is desperately needed and amazing, and i know she'd agree. you speak through it all so clearly too, i find it so easy to follow and stay interested in you. caitlin should give you a shout out/ collab cause i know your channel would blow up if more ask a mortician fans found it, you really deserve it! high quality stuff! this niche has needed more creators for a while. i literally don't understand how you don't have more views, please keep going i'm going to binge your videos now! you better get the credit you deserve soon.

[@TabooEducation]

Thanks for your kind words, it means a lot. It would be nice if Ms Doughty gave us a shout out (and I have tagged her in the video we did on her) but we know she is very busy, we're a small channel and she probably gets asked this a lot. So I'm not going to push it 😊

[@mallbratgirl_3005]

@@TabooEducation i'm so sure she'll recognise your channel soon- i could totally see her making a response video to the crazy in depth survey you did on her, that was great and i'm sure she would have gotten a kick out of it.

[@ogabrielalbar]

I love this series and I'd love to see a video about the Brazilian funeral industry. Great video and great work,

[@TabooEducation]

Ooo I like it!

[@nielspederpedersen8716]

this sounds quite similar to Denmark. Danish cemeteries are like spreadsheets.

[@nielspederpedersen8716]

to elaborate, Danish cemeteries have neat little squares with small hedges around and well raked pebbles for the graves. these are kept depending on estimates of how long it will take for the body to decompose. Urn = 10 years. Pinecasket = 20 years., longer for hardwood. Most graves are retained only the minimum amount of time, because few danes see meaning in holding on to it afterwards. Having a grave incurs a yearly cost, meaning only gravestones that are considered "interesting" are kept after this period. Most people pay for the gravekeepers to weed and lay out greenery. In short, Danish cemeteries are highly manicured with a rigid system beneath it.

[@rurikfinol368]

I found your channel a week ago and I love it !!!!

[@Frandorman]

I still have my dad's ashes.

[@natalia_savytska]

Thank you for a thorough video! I've been intrigued by German burial rites and rules since I moved to it from Ukraine and saw Ask a Mortician mentioning renting burial space/that bodies stay in for 10-30 years. Do you know what are the regulations in Germany around what remains after that period? (bone fragments, adipoceres?)

[@TabooEducation]

It's bone. The body is only kept underground long enough to skeletonise the body- some moreso then others. After that it really depends on what the family signed on in the contract with the cemetery

[@TabooEducation]

@natalia_savytska My understanding is that the given options are varied in each state and cemetery. But having the bones buried again is a mass pit or having the bones crushed, put in an urn and re-buried are most common options

[@melanie_kay_6014]

@@TabooEducation As someone else mentioned, it's common to "rent" the grave for another tenure of 10, 20, 30 years. I personally have never heard of anyone getting bones back, because of this. But I also do live very rurally. There is most likely a huge difference between rural an urban cemetery customs because of the.... crowdedness.

[@GoatPierrot]

It's called "Ablauf der Ruhezeit" and it's consequences depend on the contents of the local Friedhofsordnung or -satzung. An example I found: "After the end of the rest period, any remains of the deceased or remains of ashes may only be reburied in occupied graves with the prior consent of the city." So yeah, they can be reburied in a mass grave to save space.

[@MsPrickle]

I know Martin the Maker is based on Poland but he has videos showing that when he digs the grave for new occupants, he will re-bury the remains of current occupants in a hole a little deeper.

[@jaredcato7411]

Neat.

[@MsEsquire83]

❤