Losing a child is a painful experience for parents. Funeral arrangements and selecting a grave place considerable strain on parents during this difficult time, which is why, in 1999, the City of Vienna decided that a dignified resting place for children in Vienna who are with us for an all-too-short period of time and whose parents do not organise the interment, should be built in lot 35B at Vienna Central Cemetery.
This result is a place of mourning, peace and loving memory. The first funerals of miscarried and stillborn children, for which the City of Vienna is responsible, took place in 2001.
Method of interment The miscarried children that are to be interred by the City of Vienna are cremated. The ashes are then gathered in a collective urn before being buried in a collective grave in the baby lot close to the Pavilion of Mourning. This is carried out four times a year (on the first Friday in March, June, September and December). Prior to interment, the urn is put on display from 8 am to 8:30 am in Hall 3 at Vienna Central Cemetery to enable parents and relatives to say farewell. Subsequently, the urn and ashes of the miscarried children are buried in the baby lot.
Please contact Vienna Central Cemetery Administration Department for further information on: +43 (0)1 534 69 – 0,
Unless the parents or family make alternative arrangements, stillborn children, or those that pass away immediately after birth, are buried in simple child-sized graves in the baby lot after having been laid out. These graves are provided by the City of Vienna free of charge for a period of ten years and receive wooden grave markings.
Care of graves and lots
Graves and lots are tendered to by gardeners employed by Friedhöfe Wien GmbH; this is financed by the City of Vienna. Although no provisions are made to personalise the graves, such practices are tolerated by the cemetery management.
Discontinuation of graves
Ten years after the children were interred, the graves are discontinued and the remaining contents of the grave exhumed. The date of discontinuation is announced in good time to enable parents to remove the contents of the grave and to have the child reburied in a family grave, if desired.
Right of use
In view of the fact that no rights of use are conveyed for the baby lot, it is not possible to extend the use of the grave beyond ten years.
The Pavilion of Mourning was designed by Prof. Christof Riccabona. The pavilion has been built on a site of energy which is surrounded by four trees and is in an elevated position. It gives parents the opportunity to cope with their loss. The pavilion unites the four elements of earth, air, water and fire: It is built on the earth, air flows in through an opening in the roof, water trickles over the fountain stone and fire is present through the many small lit candles.
Accessibility
The best way to reach the baby cemetery in lot 35B is through Gate 3 – the path is signposted.
Please contact the cemetery administration department for further information:
Tel. +43 (0)1 534 69-28405
Email
Fuente: http://www.friedhoefewien.at/eportal2/ep/contentView.do/pageTypeId/75473/programId/80664/contentTypeId/1001/channelId/-54445/contentId/77804