|
|
|
Riedseltz Cemetery Listing Please let me know if you have any additions to this listing.
*NOTE: I learned something about cemeteries in France and Germany that is quite different from the practices in the United States. Due to the number of deaths over many generations and the lack of space, graves are usually rented for a period of time (I've heard of various time spans ranging from 10 to 50 years), and once that time is up, the family decides if they want to continue renting the spot. If not, the remains are usually exhumed and cremated. The walls of the cemetery are sometimes lined with old tombstones that are no longer in use. Sometimes the headstones and cover stones (many graves are completely covered by polished stones) are returned to the family, and many others are also recycled by removing the inscription. This is why you seldom find headstones older than 75 years in the cemeteries. Another interesting, although somewhat gruesome, custom that I have heard about in the Bas-Rhin area is the existence of an "ossuary," which is like a big cage filled with all the skulls of the deceased individuals formally buried in the cemetery, who had "given up their lease"!! (I have heard that this custom also exists in Germany and Italy.)
|
