"The state keeps the ashes" sounds awful. How can they possess people in death?

And no choice of where you rest - horrible

My husband's ashes are scattered in our beautiful garden, which he loved.  It gives me comfort to look out of my window and see the beautiful shrub which he loved to look at where his ashes were scattered.  Hopefully my ashes will be scattered there too one day.  I know it's only the body which is left and the spirit has moved on by then but it's still vital, I feel, that we can honour our loved ones after their death in the way that we choose.

A ten meter square plot? Each? Or do they put lots of people in together?

Surely one of the benefits of cremation, from a council's point of view, is that the need to maintain cemetaries is lessened, as people scatter ashers where they please.

This is not what I would espect from the efficient Germans!

If Mr Woo goes before me I will have his ashes made into a necklace - I will end up as  cuff links.

Is it only cremation in Germany or do they have burials too? All sounds rather heartless to me.

I never knew that. I suppose when I was young cremation was frowned upon as a sign of non belief. GJ is right abouth the cemetries though. There are 4 in Cologne which have some amazing monuments.

That made me titter!

I'm surprised at that GJ

Personally I don't think the 'catholic disapproval' of cremation from my childhood will ever leave me.  I know Catholics are allowed to be cremated these days but I think we still prefer burial over cremation (except where it's cheaper to cremate).  I have my plot already but am disappointed that burials in the UK are on top of each other rather than the Irish side-by-side.  I also dislike that we can't put any ornate edgings around as most modern cemeteries are 'lawn' ones so they have to be free to cut the grass (and make a terrible mess of the head stones while they are at it)   I do love going through the Victorian part of the cemetery where I'll be - as they have beautifully ornate graves 

anyhoo none of that has anything to do with German cremation so I'll leave it at that 

If you have a spare hour, you could do worse than having a wander around Cologne Melaten cemetry. It's beautiful.

My dog's ashes are going in with me when the time comes.

Mr Cosi is having the other poochie in with him.

Then......we're going to be mixed together and flung around somewhere out here.  Probably over the valley and onto a load of golfers 

They'll thank me when they're teeing off on a perfect green. 

I really dislike the idea of the state owning me or mine's ashes.

If I were German I think I'd refuse to be buried there at all.