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New grave field for star children: St. Ingbert's way to coping with grief!
The city of St. Ingbert is planning a new grave site for star children in the forest cemetery in order to offer grieving parents a place of remembrance.
New grave field for star children: St. Ingbert's way to coping with grief!
In St. Ingbert, the design of the grave field for star children in the forest cemetery is being reconsidered. Two years ago, the city administration took an important step towards raising society's awareness of the issue of miscarriages and the loss of young children by creating such a field. Star children, as they are called, are those who died during pregnancy or shortly after birth. This initiative offers parents the opportunity to create a contemplative place of remembrance.
The current deliberations of the cemetery commission, such as St. Ingbert reported, aim to specify the design of the communal grave. A light stone element has been proposed for the center and various stonemasons will be invited to submit designs. The focus is not only on attractive design, but also on giving parents the opportunity to individually design the area above their child's grave. There is something there, because the possibility of engraving names and dates of death on the granite stones of the surrounding area creates a personal connection.
Changes in the funeral industry
Social change is also reflected in burial cultures. The Burial Act has been in effect in Saarland since 2004, bringing together various sets of regulations and standardizing the legal framework for burials. The goal is to respect human dignity beyond death and to meet the needs of citizens. The trend is moving more and more towards urn burials and alternative forms of burial, such as tree burials, which are very popular with the younger generation. The city administration emphasizes that in St. Ingbert there is no obligation to bury miscarriages unless the child weighs at least 500 grams or the child was born after the 24th week of pregnancy.
A particularly touching element in this discussion is the increased sensitivity in dealing with grief and loss. The grave field for star children not only ensures that the deceased can be buried with honor, but also offers seminar-like support for parents, for example on the digital self-help platform StarParents Saarland. This platform is a safe space for exchange that offers support to both star parents and families in subsequent pregnancies. Here those affected can find information about grief, loss and legal issues.
Integrate places of remembrance into everyday life
In order to give more space to the issue of the loss of children in society, the cemetery commission plans to hold a few more discussions before the decision in September after the summer break. Parents should be given the opportunity to actively care for and design the area above their children's graves in order to create a sense of belonging and remembrance. The increasing demand for special grave areas indicates a change in society as a whole, which no longer keeps the topics of death and mourning hidden, but rather addresses them openly and respectfully.
As the cemetery master emphasizes, the care of the forest cemetery will continue to be maintained at a high level. The park-like character of the cemetery contributes to the fact that it is not only a place of remembrance, but also a place of retreat in the midst of everyday life for grieving parents and relatives. It remains to be hoped that the new considerations for the design of the grave site will be a further step towards acceptance and support for affected families.