Co-Creating Ritual Spaces and Communities: An Analysis of Municipial Cemetery Tongerseweg, Maastricht, 1812-2020

in Religions (2020), 11(9), 435

Cemeteries have been viewed in opposed ways as ritual spaces that either mirror society or present an idealized model of society. In this article, we propose an analysis of cemeteries as ritual spaces ... [more ▼]

Cemeteries have been viewed in opposed ways as ritual spaces that either mirror society or present an idealized model of society. In this article, we propose an analysis of cemeteries as ritual spaces, focused on the case study of municipal cemetery Tongerseweg in Maastricht, among the most important monumental cemeteries still in active use in The Netherlands today. Drawing on historical as well as interview material, spatial and ritual studies, the authors argue for a new “Arena Model” to understand cemeteries as dynamic ritual spaces. Cemeteries do not only form an ensemble of ritual spaces that are reliant on pre-existing communities, they also evoke, produce and maintain communities. Codeterminants are the physical layout and a wide range of ritual markers that variously underscore, mitigate or even contradict the communities created by the spatial layout. Important actors pertain to municipal politics and administration as well as the users, their respective allies and service providers. The article further analyses the wide range of competing values that help to shape a cycle of cocreating plural ritual spaces as well as communities [less ▲]

Die Pest als „die“ Pandemie der Weltgeschichte in der Geschichtsschreibung

in Mein, Georg; Pause, Johannes (Eds.) Self and Society in the Corona Crisis (2020)

Bacteria and parasites are constant companions of humankind. Usually, they are harmless. When they turn against their hosts, however, they become harbinger of diseases. It seems to be a paradox of history ... [more ▼]

Bacteria and parasites are constant companions of humankind. Usually, they are harmless. When they turn against their hosts, however, they become harbinger of diseases. It seems to be a paradox of history that diseases and their global spread may be seen as indicators for the process of civilisation. We investigate this phenomenon from two angles: the so-called Black Death and leprosy. After a short general introduction by Martin Uhrmacher and Thomas Kolnberger, the latter presents the globalization of “the plague” in three historical waves. Michel Pauly then scrutinizes the impact the second wave had in the fourteenth century on the region of today’s Luxembourg. In the last part, Martin Uhrmacher introduces leprosy, its social consequences and the history of its perception. [less ▲]

Gesonderte Ruhestätten für besondere Tote: Soldatengräber und Garnisonsfriedhöfe unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Entwicklung in Luxemburg

in Loew, Benedikt; Thewes, Guy; Klauck, Hans Peter (Eds.) Intra muros - Infrastruktur und Lebensalltag in Festungen - Einrichtungen der Fürsorge (2020)

Introduction: The materiality and spatiality of death, burial and commemoration

in Mortality (2019), 24(2), 117-1-22

Ein Ossarium für Steinsel. Über die architektonische Herausforderung einer ungewöhnlichen Bauaufgabe

in Kmec, Sonja; Philippart, Robert L.; Reuter, Antoinette (Eds.) Ewige Ruhe? Concession à perpétuité? - Grabkulturen in Luxemburg und den Nachbarregionen - Cultures funéraires au Luxembourg et dans les régions voisines (2019)

Die lange Anreise zur ewigen Ruhe? Post mortem-Mobilität und kleiner Grenzverkehr in Sachen Kremation

in Kmec, Sonja; Philippart, Robert L.; Reuter, Antoinette (Eds.) Ewige Ruhe? Concession à perpétuité? - Grabkulturen in Luxemburg und den Nachbarregionen - Cultures funéraires au Luxembourg et dans les régions voisines (2019)

Eine andere Migrationsgeschichte - tote Soldaten der Grande Guerre im Luxemburger Erzbecken

in Mutations. Mémoires et Perspectives du Bassin Minier (2018), 10

Dieser Kurzartikel behandelt die ephemeren Grabstätten deutscher und französischer Kriegsgefallener während des Ersten Weltkrieges und deren Umbettung in den 1920er-Jahren

Cemeteries and urban form: a historico-geographcial approach

in Urban Morphology (2018), 22(2), 119-139

Research in urban morphology rarely takes account of the specific forms of burial grounds. This paper offers a synthesis of how Christian cities of the dead mirror the cities of the living, and provides ... [more ▼]

Research in urban morphology rarely takes account of the specific forms of burial grounds. This paper offers a synthesis of how Christian cities of the dead mirror the cities of the living, and provides an overview of different Western European 'funeral epochs'. The shifting location of burial grounds realtes to major changes in town planning and building. Adopting a historico-geographical approach, micro-morphological transformatins of grave-plot forms and their cardinal orientations and accessibility are explored in the context of changing religious beliefs, rules of hygiene, and practical and aesthetic consideration. The role of cemeteries in fringe-belt development is presented, using Vienna as a historical case study. [less ▲]

Military Migrants. Luxembourgers in the Colonial Army of the Dutch East Indies

in Itinerario (2017), 41(3), 555-580

Among the roughly 150,000 soldiers sent to the Dutch East Indies between 1815 and 1914, the Luxembourg contingent made up a tiny minority of just 1,075 men. Based upon extensive research into their ... [more ▼]

Among the roughly 150,000 soldiers sent to the Dutch East Indies between 1815 and 1914, the Luxembourg contingent made up a tiny minority of just 1,075 men. Based upon extensive research into their careers, data on these soldiers provide further clues to understanding what drove Europe’s young men to become colonial soldiers. The results of this national case study will be compared with earlier investigations by Bossenbroek and Bosma on recruits for the Dutch colonial army. Similar to the Dutch soldiers, their Luxembourg counterparts had a predominantly urban provenance. However, in contrast to the Dutch, they did not have a strong military background, and it appears that fewer Luxembourgers stayed behind in the Dutch East Indies after their tour of duty. They were more attracted by the payments that the recruiters doled out in advance, particularly at a time of economic crisis, than in a career in the tropics. [less ▲]

Von 'Flamma' zum 'Flamarium'. Zur Geschichte der Feuerbestattung im Großherzogtum Luxemburg, 1900-2015

in Hemecht : Zeitschrift für Luxemburger Geschichte = Revue d'Histoire Luxembourgeoise (2017), 69(Heft 2), 205-232

Luxembourg is a 'delayed nation', as far as cremation is concerned. It was in 1995 that the Grand Duchy opened its own cremation center, only ahead of Malta and Cyprus in the EU zone (Orthodoxe Greece is ... [more ▼]

Luxembourg is a 'delayed nation', as far as cremation is concerned. It was in 1995 that the Grand Duchy opened its own cremation center, only ahead of Malta and Cyprus in the EU zone (Orthodoxe Greece is a special case). While the discussion about the pros and cons of cremation is mirroring the general debate of the last hundred years since the introduction of this alternative form of burial and funeral technique in neighboring countries, especially in Geermany and France, the case study of Luxembourg also offers insights into the development of a small state shaped by its Catholic heritage. This mentaliy-argument is, however, only one side to be considered when investigating the history of cremation. Another decisive factor is the embedddedness of Luxembourg in a transnational context. [less ▲]