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CULTURE

How Germans are rethinking their way of death

Traditionally a very religious country, Germany is rethinking its way of death. One start-up is even claiming to have found a way of prolonging life - digitally at least - beyond the grave.

Foliage lies over graves at Trier's main cemetery on November 1st 2021 (All Saints' Day).
Foliage lies over graves at Trier's main cemetery on November 1st 2021 (All Saints' Day). Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Harald Tittel

Youlo – a cheery contraction of “You Only Live Once” – allows people to record personal messages and videos for their loved ones, which are then secured for several years in a “digital tombstone”.

Unveiled at “Life And Death 2022” funeral fair in the northern city of Bremen this month, its creators claim it allows users to have their final word before they slip gently into the good night.

Traditionally, Lutheran northern Germany has long had a rather stiff and stern approach to death.

But as religion and ritual loosened their hold, the crowds at the fair show people are looking for alternative ways of marking their end – a trend some say has been helped by the coronavirus pandemic.

“With globalisation, more and more people live their lives far from where they were born,” said Corinna During, the woman behind Youlo.

When you live hundreds of kilometres from relatives, visiting a memorial can “demand a huge amount of effort”, she said.

And the Covid-19 pandemic has only “increased the necessity” to address the problem, she insisted.

READ ALSO: What to do when a foreigner dies in Germany

No longer taboo

During lockdowns, many families could only attend funerals by video link, while the existential threat coronavirus posed – some 136,000 people died in Germany – also seems to have challenged longtime taboos about death.

All this has been helped by the success of the German-made Netflix series “The Last Word” – a mould-breaking “dramedy” hailed for walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy when it comes to death and bereavement.

An angel figure stands on a grave at the Westfriedhof in Munich.

An angel figure stands on a grave at the Westfriedhof in Munich. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sven Hoppe

Much like British comedian Ricky Gervais’ hit series “After Life”, which turns on a husband grieving the loss of his wife, the heroine of “The Last Word” embraces death and becomes a eulogist at funerals as her way of coping with the sudden death of her husband.

“Death shouldn’t be a taboo or shocking; we shouldn’t be taken unawares by it, and we certainly shouldn’t talk about it in veiled terms,” Bianca Hauda, the presenter of the popular podcast “Buried, Hauda”, told AFP.

It aims to “help people be less afraid and accept death,” she said.

“The coronavirus crisis will almost certainly leave a trace” on how Germans view death, said sociologist Frank Thieme, author of “Dying and Death in Germany”. He argued that there has been a change in the culture around death for “the last 20 to 25 years”.

These days, there are classes to teach you how to make your own coffin and even people who make a living writing personalised funeral speeches. Digital technology which was “barely acceptable not so long ago” was also beginning to make its mark, he said.

‘Straitjacket’

Historian Norbert Fischer of Hamburg University said they have been a shift toward individualism in the “culture of burials and grief since the beginning of the 21st century.

“The traditional social institutions of family, neighbourhood and church are losing their importance faced with a funeral culture marked by a much greater freedom of choice,” he said.

However, the change has been slower in Germany because “legal rules around funerals are much stricter than most other European countries,” said sociologist Thorsten Benkel, which is at odds with “what individuals aspire to”.

Some political parties like the Greens also want to loosen this legislative “straitjacket”, particularly the law known as the “Friedhofszwang”.

The 200-year-old rule bans coffins and urns being buried anywhere, but in a cemetery. Originally passed to prevent outbreaks of disease, it has been largely surpassed as a public health measure, particularly since cremation became popular.

Germany also had a very particular relationship with death in the aftermath of World War II.

Back in 1967, the celebrated psychoanalysts Margarete and Alexander Mitscherlich put Germany on the couch with their book “The Inability to Mourn”.

One of the most influential of the post-war era, the book argued that Germans had collectively swept the horrors committed by the Nazis in their name — and their own huge losses and suffering during the war –under the carpet.

Thankfully, said Benkel, mentalities have “changed an awful lot since”.

By David COURBET

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EVENTS

Six fascinating events to dive into spring in Germany

Forsythia flowers are in full bloom and April is loaded with events to celebrate the warmer weather and sunshine to come. Here are some of our top picks.

Six fascinating events to dive into spring in Germany

Spring Festivals across Germany 

Starting around Easter weekend, Germany’s myriad spring festivals bring bright colours and beer-fueled revelry to cities around the country. 

Spring festivals come by many names in Germany – there’s the clearly named Frühlingsfest (spring fest) such as in Munich, or the Volksfest (people’s festival) like in Nuremberg, and then there are uniquely named local variations like Frankfurt’s Dippemess. But they all offer carnival rides, abundant food and drink, and an opportunity to see how German’s let loose – think Oktoberfest, but with a palpable spring theme.

This year both Dippemass in Frankfurt and Volksfest in Nuremberg begin in late March and continue until April 14th.

Munich’s Frühlingsfest will run from April 19th to May 5th. Stuttgart’s spring festival is on from April 20th to May 12th.

Readers in the north of the country may want to try Hamburg’s DOM running until April 21st this year.

Cherry blossom gazing

Delicate white and pink blossoms that appear only for a couple weeks in April, cherry blossoms are both a symbol of spring and object of fascination around the world, from the furthest reaches of East Asia to right here in Germany.

The early onset of warmer temperatures in Germany this year is causing cherry trees to bloom earlier than usual, but there should still be some blossoms on the trees during the previously scheduled cherry blossom festivals that take place in many German cities.

READ ALSO: Seven signs that spring has arrived in Germany

The city of Bonn’s old town, with its cherry tree covered streets, has become the go to spot for blossom gazing and photography in Germany. Early to mid-April tends to be the best time to visit, and this year the blossom-adorned streets will be closed to cars for three weekends starting from April 13th.

But if you don’t live close to Bonn you can find several locations around Germany where cherry blossoms are in full bloom here.

cherry blossoms Bonn

Tourists stroll under blossoming cherry trees in Bonn’s old town. In the narrow streets of the old town, blossoming trees form a pink canopy in April. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Banneyer

Music festivals begin

While the majority of Germany’s bigger music festivals are held in summer, there are quite a few in spring – with a few noteworthy music fests even happening in the coming month.

For fans of metal music, the 19th iteration of Ragnarök Festival will be held at Stadthalle Lichtenfels on April 4th to the 6th this year.

For something a little softer, Polimagie Festival in Dresden features indie, rock and pop artists from Germany, the UK, and Europe – from April 17th to 21st.

Alternatively, jazz and big band lovers are encouraged to check out the fourth Jazz Festival of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Several concerts will take place from the 17th to 22nd. Single tickets are around €20, and are found here.

International Women’s Film Fest in Dortmund and Cologne: April 16th to 21st

Germany’s largest forum for women in the film industry, the “Frauen Film Festaims to “strengthen the influence of women in all trades of the cinema industry: first and foremost directors, but also cinematographers, producers, screenwriters, composers, actors and more.”

It’s also an opportunity to see one of 95 films from 40 countries. Choose from screenings of short film collections or feature length films from debuting including those entered in the International Debut Feature Film Competition.

There are also workshops and discussions that allow attendees to meet some of the women behind the films.

Find more information here.

Gallery Weekend Berlin – April 26th to 28th

Since 2005, Berlin galleries have presented exhibitions by emerging and established artists during this three day event. 

The last gallery weekend included performances, screenings, sound pieces, readings, and installations. This year 55 galleries spread across Berlin’s central neighbourhoods will participate.

According to the event organisers, a handful of exciting new galleries will join the event this year including: Galerie Molitor, Noah Klink Galerie, Schiefe Zähne, Sweetwater and Heidi.

More information can be found at Gallery Weekend Berlin’s website.

witches stare each other down

On Walpurgis Nacht, people in witch and devil costumes storm the town hall in Wernigerode. The traditional Walpurgis festival is celebrated throughout the Harz Mountains. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Matthias Bein
 

Walpurgis Nacht

The origins of Walpurgis Night date back 1,000 years to pagan traditions in Germany, and is celebrated on the night of April 30th each year. 

St. Walpurgis was honoured with a feast day on May 1st, and people gathered to dance the night before. It’s also considered to be the time when witches gather. The name “Walpurgis Nacht” was popularised by Goethe’s Faust in 1808.

Smaller villages in some regions in Germany, like the Harz mountains, celebrate Walpurgis Nacht with festivals. Bad Grund, for example, hosts festivities including open air theatre and dancing. 

Walpurgis related celebrations can also be found in Germany’s bigger cities, such as Peaceful Walpurgis Night which is hosted in Berlin’s Mauerpark each year.

READ ALSO: Are you ready for Walpurgisnacht, Germany’s night of witches?

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