2023-10-28 09:00:11
Despite digital transformation and virtual cemeteries – Sild: “Vienna’s undertakers see the revival of mourning rituals and are the right contact in every bereavement”
Vienna (OTS) – “The burial of our dead is an important cultural asset and is subject to special ethical standards,” says Jürgen Sild, chairman of the Vienna Undertaker Association: “Vienna’s undertakers provide sensitive support during the time of farewell, they help with understanding and professional advice to prepare a funeral and the right one To find a contact person in every case of bereavement.”
The trend is towards individualization
According to Sild, individualization is currently one of the most important trends among undertakers. “Customers want choice. Ceremonies often arise in which self-selected rituals are given great importance. Rituals always play a more important role when it comes to saying goodbye to the deceased. Funerals in particular help people cope with the grief of those left behind. A modern burial culture must find contemporary answers.”
Old traditions in a new guise
Increasingly, it is a question of creating rituals within the framework of legal regulations in which components of conventional, church burial are used, but at the same time the opportunity for new actions is created. Sild: “A modern funeral culture should combine existing traditions with modern views.” The Austrian funeral system was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2023. According to UNESCO’s statement, undertakers are central actors who not only maintain and pass on their knowledge, but also continually adapt it. “Until the 19th century, burial practices and rites that were often oriented towards religious regulations and the aristocracy predominated, but in the last 20 years in particular there has been an increase in individualized design.”
Digital Transformation
Many people are also increasingly turning to funerals online: apart from a few official procedures that you still have to do yourself, you can generally have a funeral planned and organized via various internet companies. Sild: “Reputable providers will have to make even more effort in the future to make the added value and quality of their services clear. The transparency of the services plays an important role.”
Virtual cemeteries
Virtual cemeteries are usually websites on which one or more memorial pages can be created for the deceased. Despite all the advantages that such online platforms can have, one thing is clear, according to Sild: visiting a website cannot be the same as visiting a physical gravesite substitute. Sild: “The real place, wherever it may be, including the actions carried out there, are extremely important for coping with grief.”
About Vienna’s undertaker
The specialist representation of Viennese undertakers currently has 29 members. The undertaker industry was liberalized in Austria around 20 years ago. The former Viennese monopolist, Burial Vienna, is still the largest undertaker in Austria today. Access to the trade is regulated and a qualification test is required. Info at
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Vienna Chamber of Commerce
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