Municipalities voice concerns over proposed burial regulations

The Rhineland-Palatinate state government has published a draft of a new burial law, aiming to accommodate diverse funeral forms as people's wishes change. This proposed law has sparked debate and concerns among various groups.

One unique situation that has been ruled on by the courts involves a couple who wished to be buried on their own property after death. Currently, shroud burials, where the body is wrapped in a shroud instead of a coffin, are only permitted for people of Muslim faith in Rhineland-Palatinate. However, the drafted law could make shroud burials possible for anyone who wishes it in the future.

The Association of Municipalities and Towns in Rhineland-Palatinate, along with the working groups of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and the Saarland, fear a potential 20-30% decrease in burials due to the drafted law. This decline is expected to affect both urn and earth burials.

The cemetery in Vendersheim, partially occupied, will soon offer tree burials in addition to urn and traditional earth burials. Meanwhile, the village mayor, Elfi Schmitt-Sieben, is against the planned relaxation of keeping urns at home due to potential waste disposal issues.

André Jankwitz, the official responsible for cemeteries in Pirmasens, shares similar concerns. He argues that the change could privatize mourning and potentially cause family disputes. Jankwitz also notes that the change in cemetery culture, with a reversal in the ratio of coffin to urn burials within the last ten years, has economic challenges for cemeteries.

Cologne is exploring a future concept for cemeteries as meeting places, biotopes, and cultural centres. However, the specific details about this concept are not yet available.

The Bund der Selbständigen Landesverband Rheinland-Pfalz (Association of the Self-Employed Rhineland-Palatinate) has spoken out against the planned new burial law, expressing concerns about the potential decline in burials.

A change in the law could provide cities and towns with more support to address the rising costs of cemeteries. However, the article does not provide specific details about how this change could help cities and towns get more support.

The local mayor of Vendersheim, Elfi Schmitt-Sieben, is not the only one voicing opposition to the planned relaxation of keeping urns at home. André Jankwitz, the official responsible for cemeteries in Pirmasens, also criticizes this aspect of the proposed law.

The drafted burial law in Rhineland-Palatinate is controversial, with various groups expressing concerns about its potential impact on burials, cemetery culture, and waste disposal. The state parliament is expected to make a decision on relaxing the funeral law, allowing urns containing ashes to be stored at home, in the near future.