I've learned through a genealogy mailing list that, at least in Germany, graves and stones are removed after 20 or 30 years and recycled. There is not enough room to have individual burial plots in perpetuity. Also, I know of at least one 19th century German Lutheran cemetery in this country where, if the decedents' families did not pay for the upkeep, the gravestones were kicked over and broken up. I think it's a mistake to assert that in other countries and other times people cared more than they do now. People are people- there have always been and will always be some bad ones. Laws are rules, and there will always be people who break them, knowingly or unknowingly. The best we can do is to create better laws, make the laws known, enforce them, and adequately punish those who break them.

Steve, it's interesting that you should point those two example out. In the last year, I saw the exact same things taking place in Louisiana. What I've been seeing really, is that no matter the location, if there are cemeteries, the problems are there for the most part. Some countries are better than others of course. William Spurlock Saving Graves http://www.savinggraves.com -----Original Message----- From: Steve Frevert [mailto:rfrevert@megsinet.net] Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 1:17 PM To: INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [INPCRP] cemeteries in other countries, other times I've learned through a genealogy mailing list that, at least in Germany, graves and stones are removed after 20 or 30 years and recycled. There is not enough room to have individual burial plots in perpetuity. Also, I know of at least one 19th century German Lutheran cemetery in this country where, if the decedents' families did not pay for the upkeep, the gravestones were kicked over and broken up. I think it's a mistake to assert that in other countries and other times people cared more than they do now. People are people- there have always been and will always be some bad ones. Laws are rules, and there will always be people who break them, knowingly or unknowingly. The best we can do is to create better laws, make the laws known, enforce them, and adequately punish those who break them. ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== Cemetery: (n) A marble orchard not to be taken for granite.