Two new photos I took, kinda gross

[kuhio98]

I wonder why these grave stones are being removed? Are the grave stones being replaced? Were the bodies moved?

[Kirsten]

I wonder why these grave stones are being removed? Are the grave stones being replaced? Were the bodies moved?

On German cemeteries, graves are usually removed after 30 years, unless there are still relatives who rebuy the place. The contracts for urne graves even expire after 20 years.

The bodies however - or what's left of them - remain in the ground.



Kim, I also love taking photographs in old graveyards, it's a peaceful atmosphere.

The inscription of the first stone reads:

Adele Rech
nee Steuer
19.7.1886 - 12.1.1956

In memory of our dear father
Friedrich Wilhelm Rech
1888 - 1945


Obviously hubby Friedrich Wilhelm has died in WW2, as there's this military cross below his name.

Can't read much of the inscription of the second stone, you can only see the name, Gustav Mueller.

Kirsten

[Suki Wingy]

On German cemeteries, graves are usually removed after 30 years, unless there are still relatives who rebuy the place. The contracts for urne graves even expire after 20 years.

THAT is what's sad That's HISTORY there!
I love wandering through old cemeteries looking for really old ones and seeing in a way they whay different people deal with death.

[lizbud]

I think this is very sad., almost goulish ,to desecrate the ground & remove
the headstones. I'm very glad they don't do that here. I knew there was a
good reason to chose cremation for myself.

[sirrahbed]

It is sad to me in the sense that history is being destroyed. But, if there are no longer living relatives - and space is so very limited - it makes sense. 20 to 30 years sure doesn't seem like very long though.

Kirsten I love your beautiful pictures! I used to visit cemeteries and once had a hobby of making etchings of the more interesting tombstones. I would use blank newsprint and wax to make copies. One actually read something like "gone and rood riddance" - I had to wonder about THAT bit of history!!

[Anita Cholaine]

They are sad, but I find them beautiful at the same time.
We have a really old cementery in Buenos Aires, full of great sculptures and statues. It a wonderful historical place to take good photographs...

[Kirsten]

It a wonderful historical place to take good photographs...

Sounds like an interesting place indeed!


BTW, here are some older cemetery photos I took some years ago, before I had a digicam.










What do you think of them?
(Could be that some of you have seen them before on www.kirsten-scheffel.de)

Kirsten

[Anita Cholaine]

Those are wonderful! I really love your photography, I'm looking at your site now....

Maybe I should post some of the photos I took in the cementery, I need to resize them first...

[Kirsten]

Thank you!

Oh yes, please post them, I would like to see your photos!

Kirsten

[gini]

The photos are wonderful. It does however, make me wonder what happens to the records of these people buried there?

So many times people have been able to piece together a family history through grave markers that they found. And only because the written history has been lost or destroyed.

[Toby's my baby]

Those are great, sad at the same time though. I love the ones that you posted second, not taken with your digi cam, they are great!!

....off to check out your website.....

EDIT: your website won't work for me... ??

[Kirsten]

EDIT: your website won't work for me... ??

Oops, edited the link, it should work now.

And only because the written history has been lost or destroyed.

Well, I think people can get their infos at the registry offices, as long as they are not destroyed by fire, natural disasters or war...

Kirsten