Fragment No. 23

...with Dr. Fabian Lenzen

The Diversity of Funeral Culture and a Small Piece of Carpet

Since the beginning of December, a small piece of a carpet has been hanging in the Federal Training Center for Funeral Directors in Münnerstadt. What's the story behind it? In fact, the fragment is part of a project by the Museum of Islamic Art at Pergamonmuseum. For the CulturalxCollabs project, the newly weaved doppelganger of the Caucasian Dragon Carpet, which has been in the possession of the Berlin Museums for 140 years, was divided into 100 individual pieces, which will "travel" within Germany until 2027 to different places representing our funeral culture. Therefore, as seen in the pictures, the carpet fragment has already visited our mourning station at the Ohlsdorf Park Cemetery in Hamburg. The first picture shows our managing director, Stephan Neuser, and the master of the Funeral Directors' Guild of Berlin and Brandenburg, Dr. Fabian Lenzen, with the fragment.

The project aims to encourage thinking and dialogue about diversity and interculturality. In the 21st century, intercultural competence and knowledge of various funeral cultures are essential skills for funeral directors and contribute to an open dialogue about mourning and funeral culture. Despite the differences in cultures with their unique funeral traditions, our commonality lies in honoring the deceased, a practice that has been upheld by people for tens of thousands of years.

Every region of this world, every religion, and every community has its funeral culture. What they have in common is that people worldwide have been burying their dead for tens of thousands of years. The dignified treatment of the bodies of those who have passed away, combined with various rites, actions, and transcendence ideas, distinguishes and connects us at the same time. In the modern societies of the 21st century, influences from various cultures, religions, and regions increasingly mix or coexist in close proximity. This is particularly evident in urban agglomerations. Intercultural competence, knowledge of the significance of other funeral cultures, and openness to changing concepts are more important than ever for undertakers and young people training to become funeral professionals.

The carpet fragment travels to different places in Germany that are significant for our funeral culture and its preservation and transformation. At the same time, it will repeatedly be displayed at the Federal Training Center for Funeral Services, the Theo-Remmertz Academy. In all these places, it is intended to invite reflection on diversity, interculturality, and the exchange of ideas. In April, the carpet fragment was passed on to an international partner who is a funeral culture actor in another part of the world, before finally becoming part of the overall project again. In 2027, all 100 fragments are to be reunited in the then newly reopened Pergamon Museum.