International Rabbit 10/21/2010
by Henk van Kampen
As you may know, in many European countries burial plots are rented, and after the rental period the human remains are removed from the plot to make space for new burials.
Here in The Netherlands, graves are usually leased for ten or twenty years. In most cases it is possible to extend the lease, but in practice this only happens if the partner of the deceased is still alive. The minimum lease (required by Dutch law) is ten years, and extensions are usually also ten years. In some cemeteries it is possible to have an eternal lease, or outright buy a burial plot, but that is uncommon.
When the lease on a Dutch grave has expired and the cemetery plans to remove the grave, the cemetery will try to contact the next of kin. If that fails, they will put up a notice on the notice board at the entrance, and place a sign at the grave, warning that the grave will be removed soon. This way, interested parties get a chance to contact the cemetery and extend the lease. If the next of kin can't be found, or does not want to pay for the lease extension, the grave is nominated for removal.
Many Dutch cemeteries will not remove the grave as soon as the lease is expired, but wait until they have a row of graves to remove. Other cemeteries may wait until they actually need the burial plot for a new grave.
When a grave is removed, tombstones and other grave decorations are usually destroyed, as are remains of the coffin and other goods found in the grave. Human remains are collected and buried in a collective grave or an ossuary, on the cemetery or elsewhere. Some cemeteries bury human remains deeper in the ground on the same spot, so they end up below the new grave. Usually it is also possible to request cremation of the remains, but I don't know anyone who has actually done so.
Not all graves will be removed. Jewish cemeteries, for example, never remove graves. Many older Dutch cemeteries have a section with old graves that they want to keep. Some graves are listed monuments (because of their historic or artistic importance) and cannot be removed. War graves, too, will not be removed.
The cemetery of the village Oud-Zuilen uses stones from removed graves for decoration. There are no graves along this side of the cemetery.
The green sign at the front states that this grave is nominated to be removed. Interested parties can still contact the cemetery to extend the lease.
"Dit graf wordt geruimd": This grave will be removed. It is too late now to extend the lease.
Row of graves nominated for removal in April 2011.
Labels: International Rabbit
2 Comments:
OMG, this is a horrifying procedure!
Therefore, it seems to me, no grave is considered really sacred. Land space apparently is more important.
We are having the same problem here in Panama as Cemetery officials seem to follow the same attitude toward the dead. If your family hasn't bought the cemetery plot and your loved one is buried in a rented plot, your remains are subject to being dug up.
Our Foundation is presently struggling with the large burial places of our ancestors to make them National Historic Patrimony as their tombs of more than 90 years are in danger of being dug up. In fact, our Silver Cemeteries have been placed on The World Monuments Fund's 2010 Most Endangered Heritage Sites The Silver People Chronicle
Something similar happens in Australia. They are running out of burial space (something hard to imagine in a country as huge and sparsely populated as Australia)and so are re-using grave plots after the 25 year leases expire.
In Australia, the headstones aren't destroyed but instead moved to another area of the cemetery where they can still be viewed. However, finding a headstone is difficult as most stones, when moved, don't have their new location recorded.
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