A new method of burial has been legalized in Germany

The Parliament of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein has introduced into legislation a new type of burial called Reerdigung ("return to the ground"). This was reported by the DPA news agency on June 19.

According to Justice Minister Kerstin von der Decken, along with the traditional burial in a coffin and cremation, followed by placing the urn in the ground, the region will now use "accelerated decomposition" of the body in a special container with further burial of the remains. At the same time, Schleswig-Holstein became the first federal state in Germany to establish this form of burial at the legislative level.

According to the newspaper, the procedure involves placing the body of the deceased in a closed "cocoon" filled with hay, straw and other plant materials. The temperature inside the container rises under the influence of microorganisms, which accelerates the decomposition of organic tissues. Within 30-50 days, the body turns into humus. Bones and teeth do not decompose at the same time — they are crushed and added to the resulting mass, after which it is wrapped in natural cloth and placed in a grave.

In April, it was noted that with the method of cremation, each deceased is assigned an individual number, and a fireproof token is placed in the coffin. After burning, it is removed along with the ashes to eliminate any confusion. At the same time, all coffins are signed, and inside each there is a fireproof stainless steel number, which is removed along with the ashes after cremation as a final check.