Welcome to Austria folks! You may think that the above clip is exaggerating and morbid in some ways but here in Vienna, it’s dead on. However, the cemeteries here are mind- blowing and beautiful. The gravestones aren’t just stones with the birth and death. They are monuments compared to the stones that you see in most graveyards around America (especially Montana). They are gardens that are under constant, tender care, a beautiful church in the center, and gravestones and monuments that gilded with gold, marble and elaborate, allegorical carvings.
Now the biggest difference between the U.S. and Austria for their dead is how the dead are celebrated and buried in some cases. The place to work is the funeral business and casket design. For instance, if you are low on money and can’t spend very much for a casket, the optimal option is the recyclable casket. Just place it over the grave, pull the cord and voila! The body makes it into the grave and the casket is ready to use for someone else. The more expensive option would be to have your casket custom designed in bronze with hand etchings and sculptures like Empress Maria Theresia. Either way, you get a long parade and a jolly celebration afterwards. You can purchase a head stone to visit for the future or you can just keep them in your memory because after ten years, they take the previous tenant out and replace them.
So, next time you are in Vienna, Austria, make sure you take a romantic and enchanting walk through any of the cemeteries. Don’t forget to bring the picnic!
