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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

New Natural Burial Ground 'Den Brem' Opens in Hoboken

From VRT NWS · (11m ago) Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A new natural burial site, 'Den Brem', has opened in Hoboken, the second in Antwerp, offering an ecological way for urns to decompose.
  • The site is named after the locally occurring broom shrubs planted there, aligning with the city's vision for green, urban cemeteries.
  • It allows for more personalized choices in burial locations, creating a mosaic of resting places in biodegradable urns without headstones.

Hoboken, a district of Antwerp, has opened its second natural burial site, 'Den Brem.' This initiative aligns with the city's commitment to creating 'living cemeteries' that serve as green lungs within the urban landscape. The name 'Den Brem' itself is a nod to the native broom shrubs that have been planted, grounding the new site in local heritage.

This new facility offers Antwerp residents a more ecological and personalized option for final resting places. Unlike traditional cemeteries, 'Den Brem' allows for greater freedom in choosing the location of the urn, fostering a unique mosaic of burial spots. The use of biodegradable urns ensures that the remains fully integrate with the soil, promoting a natural decomposition process.

Den Brem fits perfectly into our vision of living cemeteries: quiet places that also serve as a green lung in an urban environment.

— Ken CasierAlderman Ken Casier (N-VA) explaining the vision behind the new natural burial site.

The emphasis on ecological burial and the integration of the site into the natural environment reflects a growing trend towards more sustainable and meaningful ways to commemorate the departed. The absence of headstones further reinforces the idea of the resting place becoming one with the landscape, offering a serene and natural environment for remembrance.

We thus offer more choice to the people of Antwerp. Greener, more personal, and more tailored to those who want it.

— Ken CasierAlderman Casier on the personalized options available at the new burial site.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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