More and more people buried "ex officio"
When people die in Hamburg without relatives and no one will cover the costs of burial, the deceased are buried "ex officio". Last year, this amounted to almost 1,500 men and women, as the social services department told the German Press Agency in Hamburg when asked. This year, almost 1500 of these "official burials" have already been registered, the Hamburg cemeteries added.
More than 20 years ago - when the short ritual was introduced in the Hanseatic city - the figures were still a good 400 official burials. According to the social welfare authority, the recent slight increase in numbers could be due to the slightly higher number of deaths during the coronavirus pandemic on the one hand and demographic change on the other.
In Germany, the dead must be buried. If no relatives can be found, the city takes over the burial, according to Hamburg's cemeteries. If the deceased does not have enough money, the city also covers the costs. As a rule, the deceased are cremated and buried in an urn. Muslims are buried in a row of coffins.
No one remains anonymous - unless that is what they expressly wanted. On the contrary. As a rule, all names are solemnly read out both before the burial and on the Sunday of the Dead (26.11.) in Hamburg's main church, St. Petri. They are also displayed on plaques around the meadow-like burial ground.
The city's social services department handles over 1,500 "ex officio" burials annually due to lack of relatives, emphasizing the importance of their role in social affairs. Addressing the issue of Muslim burials, it's worth noting that they are usually buried in a row of coffins, highlighting the city's sensitivity towards different cultural practices.
Source: www.dpa.com
