I Wonder Who Knows The Answer
By CatsandDogs
@CatsandDogs (13963)
United States
August 19, 2008 12:05pm CST
This is strange for I've never heard of it before. A very dear dear friend of mine who lives in Germany and is a part of mylot told me this about Germany and it has me scratching my head! lol In Germany, when a person dies, they're put into a grave. After 20 years they're dug up. What is done with the bodies? My friend doesn't know. All she knows is they leave the body in the grave for only 20 years and then they're dug up. The family gets notified so they can take everything off of the deceased grave or it will be thrown away. Here in the USA, you're buried for the duration of time UNLESS some low life comes along wanting the land then the graveyard is moved at the buyers expense. That is the only time a grave is dug up unless for some other reasons such as autopsy or family wants the grave to be moved like my parents would like to do with my sister and brother's graves but they can't afford to.
Now before I get way off the subject, I'm curious to know, what do they do with the bodies after 20 years and then digging them up? That is weird but then again, I live in the USA so I don't know any better but I am curious about this. Does anybody know the answer?
9 people like this
13 responses
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
19 Aug 08
I did a search for you Cats and the gist of it is that they are running out of burial room, so they are reusing old plots and previous remains are transferred to smaller containers and buried deeper so that more can be buried on top.
Several European countries actually do this. And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The per capita population to land area being what it is and so many Church graveyards running out of room for new plots to be dug, as buildings go up around them and no more land is available for burial.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Why thank you your majesty. LMBO!! You're a great resourceful friend!! It's amazing what one can find if they know where to look! I love learning new things about different countries even the past is interesting to me. Thanks so much for finding the answer!! It does make a lot of sense! Hugs to you!
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
You have a good point there Goodie.... I haven't thought of that.
1 person likes this
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
19 Aug 08
I've never heard of that, but I've also never been or known anyone from Germany. I am guessing here, but I would guess whatever is left of the bodies after 20 years is probably cremated. I'd also guess that it's because of space. If you think about it Germany is much smaller than the US and it's been a country for far, far longer than the US- space for the living is more important than space for the deceased.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
The bones don't burn to ashes like the flesh does so that's why I wondered about this. What ever the reason, it's none of my business and still think it's a bit weird or different but I am curious to what the answer is nonetheless. I'm not mocking it in any way and of course my friend knows that but am very curious. I guess because I love learning new things about different countries and how things are done.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
19 Aug 08
The bones do burn. If the temperature is high enough. I have had loved ones cremated.My sister keeps her son's ashes, my sister in law scattered her husband on top of a mountain. My first hubby is in a small box, and is buried in a half plot in a cemetary.
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Hi GG, yeah the do burn but not all the way for I was told that the creamatoriam breaks the bones into tiny pieces after the body is creamated. My uncle, grandfather and grandmother were all creamated and we could hear the clinking of bones when holding the container that their bodies were in and still are in but now in a vault at the cemetary. Not trying to counter you but am merely telling what I was told and what I heard.... that is, when my hearing wasn't as bad as it is now.
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
It is interesting. I was shocked at first when my friend told me about it but she didn't know the answer to my question so I asked if it were ok to put it on here to see who could tell us the answer and she was ok with it. Did you see Goodie's response under Sparks? She made a really good point about putting the families through yet another hardship when they're dug back up.
1 person likes this
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Because the burial plot is only leased and not sold is why they are dug up. I did not find anything on what happens to the body after it is dug up though.
in much of Europe, cemetery lots are leased for a specific number of years. If the lease isn't renewed, the burial plot becomes open for someone else to be buried there.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
That's interesting. Apparently in Germany, the graves are leased for only 20 years and then they're dug up. Look at response #4, she has the answer that I was seeking. It's really interesting to learn new things about different countries. Don't you think so?
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
19 Aug 08
I have no idea why they would dig up 20 year old bodies, unless it is for cremation and to make room for more graves. By the way, I did some reading about cremation. You mentioned that the bones don't burn. What I read said that SOME bone fragments might remain after cremation, and if so, they crush and pulverize those and put them with the ashes. So...if it's a space thing, they could be doing cremation.
I'll check back to see if someone from Germany responds.
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Yeah, I corrected myself on that... thanks. I goofed. lol Check out response #4, she's from Canada and some how she was able to get the information. You are right about the space issue. It's neat how they resolve the problems such as this. Our day isn't a total loss!! We all learned something new! lol
@wanderer086 (759)
•
19 Aug 08
I lived in Germany for two years but I have not heard of this. If they do this it must be because of space. I live in England which is much smaller and they do not do that here. I think there would be an outcry if they tried to.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Well now that I know the reason, I can understand. Check out response #4 for she found it and it is really interesting how things are done in different countries and their problem solving issues.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
20 Aug 08
wowww... this is really weird and it is the first time i heard about this kind of story... i don't live in germany and i don't have a friend from germany... so i'm sorry if i can't help you to give a satisfactory answer for this matter... i am also curious and want to read the answers from other users... in my country, we don't dig the grave unless if we want to move the grave to other place or the land is being sold to another person and that person want to use the land for business... similar like yours in USA i think... take care and have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Aug 08
Yes that's just like in the USA. I did find the answer thanks to a resourceful friend. Check out response #4, she's the one! I wouldn't want the job digging the graves. ewwww! lol they'd be picking me up off the grass! lol
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Hubby was in Germany for awhile, but says he never heard of that. It may be that space is so limited that they dig them up and cremate them. Of course it was thirty years ago when he was there. I am interested to see if anyone has the answer.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Check out response #4, she found the answer and it is a space issue problem. Very interesting!! I bet this information will spread like wild fire!! LOL I love to learn new things about different countries for it's so interesting to me. I've always been afraid to go outside of my own country out of fear I'd do something that's normal in one but against the law in another such as, chewing gum is illegal in China I think.... not sure on that but if not China then somewhere.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
19 Aug 08
I am not totally positive but I believe this is done on All Saints Day as a rite to bring the spirits of the deceased to be with loved ones or something. Not really positive but this sounds like something I recall about European burial rites etc.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
30 Aug 08
Hi cats....I don't understand what you mean by:
"Here in the USA, you're buried for the duration of time UNLESS some low life comes along wanting the land then the graveyard is moved at the buyers expense."
Here in Australia, bodies are only allowed to be buried in cemeteries...once you are buried ...that's it (except as you say for an autopsy). No-one gets to move you anywhere.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
11 Sep 08
Wow. Here in Australia our cemeteries are for keeps. One of the main ones is overcrowded and I'm not sure what they are doing about it. I must see if I can find any info. They are huge places with some incredible history there. I think the fact that more people are opting for cremation is making things easier.
Where I live, people still opt to be buried because the nearest crematorium is over 2 hours away.
1 person likes this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
19 Aug 08
Well I have to say that when I read this I was rather intrigued as I had never heard of this before, so I have just spent the last fifteen minutes browsing to try and find something out about it.
I could not find a lot, but from what I can gather when someone is buried in Germany the deceaseds family buy the plot for a term of anything from 15 yrs to 30 yrs and then once the time is up, the headstone is removed and returned to the family and the grave sold on. This is simply because they realised that this was plenty of time for the body to be completely dissolved into the earth, so when the next body went in there would be nothing there remaining of the previous occupant. This is like a form of recycling to them and means that graveyards do not get over run.
However, what is interesting is that now they are finding that the bodies are no longer rotting and disolving into the mud, but now they are turning into waxy soapy messes that are solid LOL I reckon that is because they have put too many people in the same bit of ground!! Hope it helps you!
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Hello gemini and eden. Interesting subject, huh? lol You're mostly right gemini, look at the response above yours #4, she got the correct information. It had me rather intrigued too and that's why I had to do this discussion. It's interesting to know what country does with this and that. The more I ask, the more I learn!
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
25 Mar 09
wow this is so cool!
i really love this discussion. you came up with such a great question. i read through the whole thing. i love to read about history and other cultures also. it was one of rare times i didnt know this trivia question
i really love this discussion. you came up with such a great question. i read through the whole thing. i love to read about history and other cultures also. it was one of rare times i didnt know this trivia question@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
25 Mar 09
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!! It is interesting how different cultures and countries work, isn't it? Now I have another one but am afraid that it'll offend somebody but hey, it was on TV one time but still, I have to find the right words for it which is.... The black race, the darker the person's skin is, the more black race they have in them but a lighter skinned black person has some white blood in them and that is why their skin is lighter than others. I wonder how many blacks know this AND IF it were true? I honestly don't know but it does pique my curiosity. I honestly and truly believe that all race's are going to become one some day. That is if God doesn't end it before then. It will be a very interesting time where no one is any different than the other, other than our color eyes, hair and our body structure.
@writer811 (56)
• United States
18 Mar 09
Well, this is curious. I would imagine that they do things this way because of the limited space available in Germany. After all, Germany is about the size of one U.S. state. My guess is that the bodies are probably cremated. There's really nothing else they can do with them, or at least nothing legal. Or maybe the desecration of bodies is legal in Germany. I really don't know. I'll ask Lisa, she's from Germany.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
25 Mar 09
Yes that is what they do, cremate the bodies, what's left of them. And yes it's to make room for the next one but still, it's weird, at least to me anyway because I can't imagine digging up a 20 year old body. Yuck! 
lol
lol