OBERKALBACH, HESSEN, GERMANY
Village of My Berthold and Ullrich Ancestors Includes Information about Surrounding Villages Cemeteries From September 1653 to January 1899 there were 2801 deaths/burials recorded in the Oberkalbach parish records. Originally, the burial ground was next to the church building in the central part of the village. In 1875, the new cemetery was established on the eastern edge of the village. |
Because of space limitations, Germany established laws about 200 years ago that grave sites must be leased, usually from 15 to 30 years. Then the remains are removed and the plot ownership is returned to the community to be reused. Individual communities make their own rules about the cost and length of time for the leases, which today cost between $1000 and $5000. Before the remains are dug up, the local authorites try to contact the survivors to ask if they want to extend the lease. If they can not be located, a notice is put on the grave. If no one comes forward, the grave mound will be levelled for a new grave. The family can hire someone to do the leveling or do it themselves. Sometimes small bones are found during this process. The family decides whether to leave these in the soil of the cemetery. The headstones must also be removed and disposed of as the family sees fit. My cousin, for instance, chose to bring his parents' headstone to his home and place it in his back yard.
Today about 40 percent of Germans choose to be cremated. Some of these have chosen to have a biodegradable urn buried within the root system of a tree in the forest. A small marker can be attached to the tree but no headstones or flowers are allowed.
The graves of the dead who are buried in cemeteries are required to be tended. If the family itself is not available to do this, they are supposed to hire someone to keep the grave plot in good condition. It is a pleasure to visit German cemeteries because they are well-tended and there are beautiful flowers and small shrubs on the graves.
When I visited the graveyard of some of my ancestors who lived in northern Bavaria, many of the older gravestones had been placed around the perimeter of the cemetery to form a wall. I did not see such a wall in the Oberkalbach cemetery.
Today about 40 percent of Germans choose to be cremated. Some of these have chosen to have a biodegradable urn buried within the root system of a tree in the forest. A small marker can be attached to the tree but no headstones or flowers are allowed.
The graves of the dead who are buried in cemeteries are required to be tended. If the family itself is not available to do this, they are supposed to hire someone to keep the grave plot in good condition. It is a pleasure to visit German cemeteries because they are well-tended and there are beautiful flowers and small shrubs on the graves.
When I visited the graveyard of some of my ancestors who lived in northern Bavaria, many of the older gravestones had been placed around the perimeter of the cemetery to form a wall. I did not see such a wall in the Oberkalbach cemetery.
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