New funeral guidelines: more time and freedom for mourners

New funeral guidelines: more time and freedom for mourners

losses and grief are profound experiences that sustainably shape the life of the bereaved. In Upper Austria, the corpse burial law has now been updated in order to better meet the needs of mourners. The previous legislative acquisition came from 1961 and went far behind today's requirements.

According to state guild master Martin Dobretsberger, the new regulation enables the bereaved to commemorate the deceased relatives longer and more individually. A significant change allows the deceased to stay at home in the first 24 hours after death without official approval. On top of that, the deadline was extended to up to ten days until the burial. In addition, it is now expressly allowed to keep an urn at home.

traditions in change

Andrea Krennmayr from the Kennmayr burial in Kirchdorf indicates that the opportunity to keep the deceased in the home environment has been practiced for a long time. "We had always handled it in our community. We also flexibly regulated the deadline until the funeral," she explains. The setting up of an urn in your own four walls is also nothing new, but this was formalized.

Gerald Greimel, an undertaker from Micheldorf, sees the innovations critically. "I have the impression that many of the changes create confusion rather than security. There were no clear progress for undertaker," he notes, adding that comprehensive evaluations will be necessary in the near future.

facilitated deaths

A positive aspect of the novella is the relieved death inspection. Now every doctor, including an emergency doctor, can determine death. In the past, bereaved often had to wait long for the responsible doctor. Furthermore, it is now possible to remove a small amount of ashes for private purposes, which accommodates the individual design of the funeral service. "It was illegal before, for example when someone wanted to scatter the ashes by the sea," explains Krennmayr.

The undertaker observe an increase in demand for non -traditional funeral forms. More and more people want fire burial or even a burial in a special place, like under a tree in "Waldfrieden Steyrling". This trend reflects that not everyone wants to be buried in a conventional cemetery.

A conversation about the "business auction" about burials also ends with critical tones. Krennmayr is of the opinion that the respect for the deceased should remain preserved without the funeral service turning into an event. "A funeral should be more dignified than extravagant," says Greimel and emphasizes that it is important to respect the wishes of the deceased.

The new requirements and trends in the area of burial lead to rethinking in society, where personal preferences flow into the design of funeral rituals more. These adjustments to the corpse burial law are a step in the right direction to meet the requirements of today, while at the same time maintaining the dignity and respect for the deceased.