With the focus week “Viennese farewell culture. Tradition meets the future.” From 10 to 17 May 2025, the burial in Vienna and Friedhöfe Vienna give insights into those areas of their work that go beyond the obvious. A number of free events focus on topics such as provision, sustainability, biodiversity, mourning, new forms of burial and the use of digital technologies in dealing with death and memory.
“Cemeteries are more than a burial site. They are places of encounter, culture of remembrance and ecological diversity. With the focus week, we would like to show the central role of funeral system and cemeteries in a modern city society – as cultural, social and ecological actors who have a long way beyond their traditional tasks,” says Renate Niklas, managing director of Friedhöfe Vienna GmbH.
For Jürgen Sild, Managing Director of Bestattung Wien GmbH, it is clear: “As the largest and oldest funeral home in Austria, we are far more than a pure burial service provider. As a mourning companion of the bereaved, we see ourselves with socio -political responsibility to convey a poured burial culture that is in line with the wishes of the people and the change in times of social, ecological and ecological Technological changes we want to show how diverse and relevant our area of responsibility is today ”.
All program items are accessible free of charge, and registration is required for some due to a limited number of participants.
More information: Focus week 2025 – Friedhöfe Vienna and www.bestattungwien.at/schwerpunktwoche-2025
Program:
-
Visits to the natural grave systems for urns and coffins of the cemeteries in Vienna
Saturday and Sunday, May 10th and 11th 2025 | 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Cemeteries: Feuerhalle Simmering, Hernals, Hietzing, Neustift, Stammersdorf Zentral, Südwest, Wiener Zentralfriedhof
More and more people want natural burial – the natural graves of the cemeteries in Vienna offer a dignified alternative in the middle of the city: easily accessible by public transport, maintained and with existing infrastructure for burials of urns and coffins. Corresponding graves are currently available on seven cemeteries – the trend is rising. -
Workshop biodiversity at the cemetery
Saturday, May 10, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Wiener Zentralfriedhof | Tor 2
Cemeteries as a silent hotspots of biodiversity are the focus of sustainability projects that show an example of how research, nursing practice and educational work contribute to the promotion of ecological diversity – far beyond the cemetery site.
Limited number of participants: Registration by email to kontakt@baf-austria.at -
“You are missing – ways through grief”
Monday, May 12, 2025 | 1:00 p.m.
PVÖ Meidling | Ruckergasse 40 | 1120 Vienna
Lectures by Kathrin Unterhofer (Caritas – Head of Contact Mourning Mourning) and Sonja Dietl (Bestattung Vienna). Opening by Helmuth Haselbacher (PVÖ-Meidling). -
“Death must be a Viennese” – free tour in the funeral museum
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. | Then information event on funeral provision
Central cemetery Tor 2 | Hall 2 | Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234 | 1110 Vienna
The Bestattungsmuseum Vienna offers insights into the burial culture and the peculiarities of the “Viennese death cult” of the past centuries to the present day.
Limited number of participants: Registration by May 10 by email to event@bestatungwien.at. A maximum of four (4) people can be registered for each registration. -
Artificial intelligence in mourning – film “Eternal You” followed by a panel discussion
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | Start: 5:30 p.m. | Admission: 5:00 p.m.
Fire hall Simmering | Hall 4 | Simmeringer Hauptstraße 337 | 1110 Vienna
The documentary “Eternal You” illuminates how people use AI-supported services worldwide to reproduce deceased relatives virtually, and shows how technological developments influence our forms of saying goodbye.
Discussion participants (in alphabetical order):
Michael Chalupka (Bishop of the Evangelical Church in Austria)
Renate Niklas (Managing Director of Friedhöfe Vienna)
Leonie Rachel (Influencerin, Mental Health Coach)
Florian Schmidsberger (Psychotherapist)
Jürgen Sild (Managing Director Bestattung Vienna)
Kathrin Unterhofer (Caritas – Head of contact point grief)
Moderation: His stones (Editor -in -chief Wiener District Blade)
Limited number of participants: Registration by email until May 10, 2025 to event@bestattungwien.at -
“Waldesruh”: burial in the Wienerwald – walk or Nordic walking
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | Meeting point: 9:45 a.m. | Start: 10:00 a.m.
Wiener Hütte parking lot | 2391 Lute of the Kalten
More and more people want natural straps – for example in the forest, where the ashes pass into the cycle of nature. The forest cemetery “Waldesruh” near Breitenfurt in the Biosphere Park Wienerwald offers.
Limited number of participants: Registration by May 11, 2025 at www.bestattungwaldesruh.at/termine -
Urban Gardening Workshop – The 1×1 of the Garteln
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 4:00 p.m.
Cemetery Neustift | Pötzleinsdorfer Höhe 2 | 1180 Vienna
The workshop offers a well -founded introduction to the basics of gardening – from the right planting and care to the targeted use of aids and fertilizers to practical tips for protection against pests and the first harvest – ideal for beginners and everyone who wants to refresh their knowledge.
Limited number of participants: Registration by email until May 11, 2025 to info@ackerhelden.at -
Open beehive day
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Vienna Central Cemetery | Natural
Beekeepers invite you to an informative and varied program about the importance of bees for the environment and pollination, their way of life and beekeeping – supplemented by creative hands -on stations for children and small culinary offers. -
Guided tour: funeral and farewell culture in the mirror of time- from fire to nature for humans and animals
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 3:30 p.m.
Fire hall Simmering | Tierfriedhof and Wiener central cemetery
Gabriele Saeidi (Gabitours) leads over the Vienna Central Cemetery-with exciting insight into the history of fire burial, the human-animal area and new forms of memory. From the animal cemetery to modern natural graves, the tour tells of a cultural change – between prominent graves, moving stories and extraordinary symbols of the last resting place.
About the Bestattung Wien GmbH:
The burial in Vienna, founded in 1907, is the largest funeral home in Austria and one of the largest in Europe. Around two million funerals and global transfer have been organized since the company was founded. The Bestattung Vienna leads sixteen customer service points in Vienna. More about this under www.bestattungwien.at
About the Friedhöfe Wien GmbH:
Founded in 1902 and part of Wiener Stadtwerke GmbH since 2008, Grühöfe Wien GmbH looks after 400 from 55 cemeteries in Vienna with around 400 employees over 550,000 graves. The principle “A cemetery is more than a burial site” is at the center of action and is intended to give consolation, relieve grief and create memory and encounter. The gardening company, the crematorium and the stonemasons offer a pious all -round service in the event of mourning. In addition, a valuable local recreation area is created to preserve the urban green spaces and create a valuable local recreation area on a total area of around 5.2 km². More information under https://www.friedhoefewien.at.
Questions & contact:
Mag. Lisa pernkopf
Communication I press spokeswoman
Friedhöfe Wien GmbH
Simmeringer Hauptstraße 339 I 1110 Vienna
Mobil: +43 (0) 664 88488190
E-mail: lisa.pernkopf@friedhoefewien.at
www.friedhoefewien.at
Mag. Bernhard Salzer
Communication I press spokesman
Bestattung Wien GmbH
Simmeringer Hauptstraße 339, 1110 Vienna
Mobil: +43 (0) 664 88488 193
E-mail: bernhard.salzer@bestattungwien.at
www.bestattungwien.at