Berlin's cycling undertaker adapts funeral culture

DW (English)

Have you ever seen a cargo bike funeral? It's nothing new in Berlin, where the culture of mourning continues to evolve and many people no longer want a conventional funeral.

Transcript

00:00Laid out for all to see, an urn containing human ashes glides through the streets of Berlin.

00:07On a cargo bike, undertaker Erich Wrede wants to encourage a more open approach to death and mourning.

00:15Transporting a person's ashes by bike might be unusual,

00:19but it could also help people to become more comfortable with the reality of death.

00:24At some point they realize what it is, and I'm always amazed that we've only received positive feedback so far.

00:36When a person dies in Germany, their remains are mainly handled behind closed doors until the funeral.

00:44Regulations vary, but with a few exceptions, such as Muslim funerals, the deceased must be cremated or buried in a coffin.

00:52The burial process in Germany takes place largely out of public view, with corpses transported to the cemetery in a hearse.

01:03If I bring the urn in a car, it goes unnoticed. When I transport it by bike, it's tangible.

01:13People can actually see what's happening, and I think that's important, because it's completely disappeared from public view.

01:25The custom-made cargo bike is designed to make transportation faster and more sustainable.

01:34Cycling enthusiasts in particular would like to be transported to the cemetery by bike instead of by car.

01:43With a coffin, I need at least one to three people to help carry it and follow in a car.

01:50It's absurd if I cycle ahead while they follow in a smelly diesel vehicle.

01:55So we choose the cleaner option, an electric vehicle for coffins and bikes for urns, when requested.

02:05And this is how the cargo bike is built.

02:09The wooden box lets you transport everything you need for a small funeral service.

02:17Flowers, a sound system and the urn.

02:22An opening in the case holds the urn securely so that nothing wobbles.

02:28The three-wheeled bike even has a kickstand to prevent it from tipping over.

02:35I can't imagine anything worse than a bike tipping over while carrying an urn.

02:41A funeral is coming up, but it's raining. At the last minute, Erik Wrede has to switch to using the car.

02:51The family opted for a biodegradable urn that dissolves on contact with water.

02:59In the future, he plans to cover the urn on his bike.

03:09Once in the chapel, the urn is on display for the bereaved to view before it's placed in the ground.

03:18The wake is prepared and it's time to say goodbye.

03:31Funeral culture is changing. Ceremonies are becoming more individual.

03:36Modes of transportation are becoming more diverse, as is the place of burial.

03:42For example, many people are opting to be buried in forest cemeteries.

03:46The costs are also lower. A headstone alone costs between 2,000 and 5,000 euros.

03:54Forest burials also eliminate additional costs, like grave maintenance.

04:01Erik Wrede does things differently.

04:05We've developed a price model where it doesn't matter which form of burial you choose.

04:12The price is the same.

04:15And interestingly, we have a relatively large proportion of ground burials as a result.

04:24Customizing funerals is not only a trend, but also a way of dealing with death and grief.

04:34We're creating more of a space where people can and should participate,

04:39and I think that's the complete opposite approach to the traditional funeral business.

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