Burial types
A wide variety of types of burials are permitted in Switzerland and individual and very personal forms of farewell and remembrance are increasingly being practiced.
Burial with an urn:
The burial urn is a container known since the Neolithic for the final burial or storage of the ashes of the deceased after cremation. In Central Europe, burial in urns emerged in the Late Neolithic (2500–2100 BC). Previously there was the cremation of the dead and the burial of the remains of the fire without an urn. In the Bronze Age, burying the remains of corpses in urns became common practice in large parts of Europe. It was and is part of the death and burial cult.
There are different ways an urn can be used:
The urn in the living area, in nature, in the garden, for an urn grave, for an urn niche in a columbarium, a funeral, an earth burial, in a special place, for a forest grave or tree grave.
If the ashes are scattered in nature, the urn can also serve as a memorial object and be engraved.
Virtual Cemetery: Place of Memory
Some terms – briefly explained
Cremation: cremation - cremation - cremation
Cremation already existed among ancient civilized peoples and to this day has a high status and a long tradition in many countries. In pre-Christian times, only wealthy Celts, Etruscans, Germanic peoples and later Romans could initially afford to be cremated at the stake.
In the meantime, cremation of corpses was banned in the Roman Empire
It was only after the French Revolution that the idea of cremation came up again. The first European crematorium was built in Milan in 1876. Instead of cremation, the term cremation (formerly cremation) or cremation is often used. This means the incineration of a corpse. The word "cremate" comes from the Latin "cremare" and means to burn.
The place of cremation is the burial place. The earliest time for cremation after death is regulated by canton. In most cantons the period of rest for the dead is 48 hours, in the canton of Ticino it is 24 hours. After cremation, the ashes are collected in an urn. The contents of the urn consist largely of burnt bone particles. Some crematoriums process these into fine granules before filling them into the urn. The relatives can collect the urn themselves from the crematorium and also have the right to keep the urn privately or to dispose of it in other ways. The burial of the urn in a cemetery is regulated by the local cemetery and burial regulations.
The burial period is usually 20-25 years.
Columbaria
A columbarium can be an ornate or simply designed building,
that is suitable for the accommodation of the remains. Columbaria can be found, for example, in Italian, Greek and Roman catacombs. In Mexico and Nicaragua, columbaria were discovered inside mountains where the ash remains were kept in a chamber (mogotes).
Modern columbaria can sometimes hold thousands of urns
labeled and inserted into niches and stored. One built in 1887
French columbarium has 25,000 niches, of which around 16,000 are occupied. A columbarium built in San Francisco in 1898 has been restored and has now become a tourist attraction. Wedding ceremonies are now even taking place there.
Burial in the ground - urn grave
The coffin or an urn is placed in the ground in a cemetery. The burial period is regulated by canton and is usually 20-25 years. Urns can usually be subsequently buried in an existing burial grave. However, this does not extend the normal rest period of the earth burial grave.
The exhumation of an urn that was buried in a cemetery requires a permit.
Family urn grave
This is a family grave for burial of urns in the ground. It offers space for an entire family as a final resting place. Individual design is usually possible for the gravestone. The maintenance and planting of the gravesite is carried out on written instructions from the relatives. Renewal costs are to be expected every 10 years. If the gravesite is removed, the costs of removal will be charged to the surviving dependents based on expenses. The burial period is 30 to 50 years. An extension is possible.
The crypt burial
A type of burial found in Ticino, French Switzerland and in monasteries. The deceased is placed in a coffin with a zinc inlay and compressed air filter and finds rest in a crypt.
catacomb
Catacombs are underground mortuary vaults. In some cases they include burial chambers carved into the rock. As a rule, however, the dead were not buried directly there, but rather the bones were exhumed from the cemeteries and transferred to the catacombs. The underground tombs allegedly used by the first Christians in Rome for secret church services are particularly well known.
Community grave
The place of burial is not marked and cannot be individually decorated. The communal grave is free for everyone to choose. Cremation is a prerequisite. Duration of burial: Approx. 20 years; There are no plans to rebury the ashes or the urn at a later date.
Tree burial
It is not for nothing that tree burial is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional burial rituals. The ash is embedded in the root area of selected trees. The farewell ceremony takes place in nature, which is a comforting experience for many people.
A permit is required for such a burial. You are free to choose the urn. Among our urns for tree burials you are sure to find a suitable urn for a harmonious ceremony.
Water burial
On public waters, rivers or lakes (the urn can be given to the water), the ashes can be given to the water cycle either directly or in an urn. If the urn is given over to the water, it must be made of perishable material .