A massive rock wall stands above a small plateau in the southern Haute-Provence region of France. At its base, there are some stones sitting in the grass, looking like they fell there by accident. Beneath them lie the ashes of a young man – it was his favorite spot – where his family has chosen for him to rest in peace. In Germany, this would not be possible.
German law generally requires that the dead be buried in an approved cemetery, a burial forest or a specified section of the sea. Keeping an urn in your backyard is also not allowed. Nor does scattering a loved one’s ashes into the wind.
hot air balloons and diamonds
While Germany remains strict about burial rules, people in other countries are finding new ways and places to bid their last farewell.
In Switzerland, some mourners scatter ashes in alpine meadows and rocky areas. There and in the Netherlands, ash may also be released from hot air balloons. Once the balloon reaches the chosen location, the ashes are scattered in the air, and the coordinates are later sent to the family along with a certificate. The second option is to fly by small plane.
Some American companies offer an even grander farewell by sending a small portion of the ashes into space. A legal gray area makes this possible even for the Germans, since most remains do not leave the earth and are buried in an urn.
A growing number of companies also offer memorial or cremation diamonds. Over several months, carbon extracted from a person’s ashes or hair is pressed into synthetic diamonds that can be set into jewelry.
trend towards permanent burial
For those who value stability even after death, options are growing. Environmental awareness is clearly increasing across Europe. In Scandinavia and the Netherlands, new cemeteries are emerging that focus on natural materials and eco-friendly design.
Throughout Europe, natural and environmentally conscious funerals are on the rise. In grasslands and forests, the dead are buried in biodegradable coffins made without varnish or metal, and without coatings or chemical additives.
Environmental concerns are also shaping cremation. According to the German Quality Association for Cremation Facilities, cremation will account for 81% of burials in Germany in 2024. Modern crematoria now use heat-recovery systems, and funeral directors increasingly offer biodegradable urns. These urns are often used in tree burials in forest cemeteries, where graves blend naturally into the landscape.
In some places, burials may be anonymous; In others, small plaques mark the spot.
When a human becomes human manure
Some funeral homes are now offering a more natural option known as human compost. The corpse is encased in a cocoon of straw, grass, flowers and a small amount of plant charcoal. After a few days, a gentle, cradle-like arrangement shakes the cocoon at regular intervals, helping to distribute the moisture evenly.
Natural microorganisms in the body, combined with plant material, break down the remains into fine soil in about 40 days. A biological air filter prevents odors. The remaining bones are ground into fine powder and mixed with the soil. The resulting soil is placed in the cemetery plot and planted – often with a rose bush, lavender or some other plant that the person chose before his or her death.
pulverized in flash freezing
Swedish biologist Suzanne Vigh-Masak is considered to be the pioneer of another eco-friendly burial method – promation. In his procedure, the body is first frozen at minus 18 degrees Celsius (64°F), then immersed in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees (-321°F). Extreme cold makes the body so fragile that even slight vibration turns the body into fine powder. In the vacuum chamber, moisture is removed, and any metal – such as dental fillings – is taken out.
The remains may then be placed in a small, compostable coffin made of corn or potato starch and buried in the ground. Although the process has been patented in more than 30 countries, it has not yet been put into practice anywhere.
Cryonics, a method that also involves freezing and is used in countries such as the United States and Russia, differs from embalming, as cadavers are frozen at minus 130 degrees Celsius and preserved intact – in the hope of future revival. Scientists consider this possibility extremely unlikely.
The way people were buried tells a lot about the way they lived their lives. There is not only an aesthetic difference between an ornate grave and a tree root, but also a shift in how society thinks about religion, ownership, and nature – and ultimately, how we remember our dead.