Von: zuli@sprintmail.com (Nelson R. Sulouff)
  Datum: 16.03.98, 10:14:22
Betreff: Re: AW: German Cemeteries

Frank,

Germans have no need to feel apologetic about the custom of reusing
grave space in their country. I have lived in or visited over 40
countries around the world, have seen thousands of boxes of bones piled
up inside cemetery walls in Greece, tombs cleaned out and awaiting the
dead in numerous oriental countries, etc. These things are a curiosity
the first time they are encountered by Americans.  Like others I snapped
pictures of these things as an oddity when I first encountered them. I
think the problem Americans have with the practice of cleaning out
graves is because the North American continent was considered largely
wilderness from the beginning of immigration and settlement. We have
been extravagant in our use of space and have not had to face the
practical aspects of limited space as in many other countries. This
luxury has led to the popular idea that just as the soul should rest in
peace so also the body should rest in peace, undisturbed in one place.

It takes a while for Americans travelling abroad to accept customs with
which they are not familiar. (In fact few people will disagree with me
when I say it generally takes Americans too long to assimilate
differences when they encounter customs abroad with which they are not
familiar.) I ask Germans to be patient with Americans who express
incredulity about their practice of reusing graves. It is our
provincialism and inexperience that gives us the problem, not something
that is done in Germany that gives us the problem.

Sincerely,

Rev. Nelson R. Sulouff

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F.Mailaender@CENIT.DE wrote:
>
> Probably I as a German (exactly "Schwabe") should say something to this
> topic before anyone thinks how "cruel" we are.
> It is a very simple problem we have:
> Space!
> We have 356 970 square kilometers total area and about 82.000.000
> inhabitants.
> This is a square with respectively 66 meters per person. This includes
> plain like water, forests, mountains etc. Not too much, isn't it?
> Where do you think should we live, when everybody keeps his grave.
> I know, this sounds hard but it is a problem!
> If you are interested in German statistics, there is an excellent web
> page (in English and German) on http://www.statistik-bund.de/e_home.htm
> Frank
> Baden-WuerttembergGenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~deubadnw/
> Mailaender Family: http://members.aol.com/fmaili/persons.htm
>
>
> > ----------
> > Von:  Maryp5243[SMTP:Maryp5243@aol.com]
> > Gesendet:     Montag, 16. März 1998 16:12
> > An:   Baden-Wurttemberg-L@rootsweb.com
> > Betreff:      Re: German Cemeteries
> >
> > While in Bad Wimpfen one day, my friend went to the City Hall and got
> > a guide
> > to the City in English.  We were walking around the city and she
> > pointed to a
> > big barn looking building and said, "that is the bones house."   When
> > asked
> > what she meant by that, she said, "where do you think they put the
> > bones when
> > they dig them up?"
> >
> > Have mentioned that to many people, and they find it hard to believe.
> > I have
> > often wondered what they did with the bones.  The cemeteries I have
> > visited,
> > the graves are all fairly new.....except in the grounds around
> > cathedrals..
> >
> > Mary Phillips
> > Orlando, FL
> >