I just wonder if it is the same all over, or varies with the Kreis. or diocese. I was in the Trier diocese if they are called that , in that area in 2001. In that area the leases were , yes, 20-25 yrs. and when finished, the family could take the stone or it could be recycled. The remains were buried in a communal area, not shown to us. As this was a country area in the Hunsruecks, with all the small towns and villages, all the Catholic churches had their regesters available. And the very old ones, were available at the town that was their diocese head. The cemetaries were all small next to the churches, and very ornate. Our cousin Volker, says they all try to outdo each other. votive lights, beautiful flowers and garden areas, statues, I loved it, but he is probably right that it is overdoing something when the money could be put to a better use. They are out there every day, tending their "gardens" That whole area is so well kept it almost makes you cry. The Lord only knows, we in America have our own hangups over our looks and possessions. Also, I think a great deal of the larger older churches are not really used for church, subsudised by the country, and more or less a historical artifact. But our cousins Marianne and Leo Dellwo, attend a chuch in Trier, only a few blocks away, and the church is quite active. So go figure. love cousin marge, a diluted German > Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:21:23 -0500 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [G-P-L] Burial practices > > The leases run more for about 20-25 years. And the family is not allowed to > lease the same plot again unless they have someone who died that they want > to bury. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "BF" > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 8:21 AM > Subject: [G-P-L] Burial practices > > > What were the 19th century burial practices in Germany? I suppose they were > buried in the church cemetery. Did they have long-lasting markers such as we > have? My family lived in a small town, Herda, Thuringen and were poor. Any > chance of finding a marker from 1850-1900 if such things existed? > > I read that some country had plots leased for 100 yrs, then they were reused > but don't remember if that was Germany. > > Betty > FL > > > > For all the latest News, please visit our Homepage: http://www.germanyroots.com > > Please visit and participate in our new forum > http://www.germanyroots.com/phpBB3/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hello, Quite a discussion going on here, I think it is heart breaking to see graves decorated. How devastated those families must be by the loss of that wonderful person. I don't go to my fathers grave because he is not there, there might be a plaque with his name on it but he is not there. He was totally against cremation as well as organ donation. He had religious reasons for his beliefs. My father in law on the other hand was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the river close to where my husband and I live now. My husband was very close to his father who passed suddenly and we have a very heavy plaque that will be eventually placed. There is a memorial tree in a cemetery here in my city for my father in law, his mother and father and grandmother are buried there also. I don't think that there is a right way or a wrong way to deal with burial except to honor the persons wishes. It seems there are vast cultural differences which i find interesting. I like what is done in Mexico on November 1st the day of the dead. I think in the areas of the southern USA a funeral dirge is played on the way in to the cemetery for the burial and then jazz music is played on the way out. It is sad when grave markers are left to decay or when they are vandalized i don't think that vandalized or neglected head stones is purely an American problem. As was mentioned earlier if the descendants move away or die off there is no one left to care for the stones. I think genealogist are the ones who truly appreciate a well made headstone it can say so much. For example I have a woman who I had been researching diligently and found that she was committed to the San Antonio State Hospital in 1926. Texas state law prohibits anyone from accessing medical records (new privacy laws) there is a cemetery associated with this hospital but her nieces and nephews, I am assuming, had her buried in a different cemetery with a beautiful headstone. which is good because the hospital cemetery only gave patients numbered bricks which have been stacked in piles or log cabin style with no telling of who they belonged to. I have another who I believe has the wrong date of death on her headstone. Good discussion Kerry _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390708/direct/01/