An ecological funeral only in a shroud: is it possible, or not? A debate in Ekonews.
Oleg Vojtíšek, the founder of the Funeral Guides company, is convinced that burial in the ground is legally possible in the Czech Republic even without a coffin.
According to him, the solution is to dig a shallow underground wooden tomb instead of a grave, reinforce it with planks and close it with a solid board made of hardwood. Then place the body wrapped in a scarf made of natural materials in it.
According to the ministry, nothing prevents a funeral without a coffin.
This department has had a working group for two years that deals with so-called green funerals. Recently, the ministry also presented the results of its work to regional hygiene stations. The law does not see any legal obstacle to placing bodies without a coffin.
According to Jiří Královec, spokesman for Cemeteries and Funeral Services of the City of Prague, the Louky vzpomínek (Meadows of Memories) cemetery regulations are currently being created and there is a lively discussion about them. "No responsible cemetery administrator will rush into this (options without a coffin, editor's note) a priori. A stamp from the Ministry of Regional Development will not be enough, many partial powers in the funeral industry are held by other authorities, and one of them is the hygiene station," says Královec.
According to him, the result of the negotiations will most likely be that burials in wooden coffins will begin in the meadow.