WDEC 2025 in Lisbon

Explore the legacy of the Portuguese press and help children reflect on life and death through captivating activities at Alto de São João Cemetery during WDEC 2025.

Guided Tour: Figures from the Portuguese Press

On 24 May 2025, at 11:00 AM, a themed guided tour will take place at the Alto de São João Cemetery, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of journalist João Chagas - a prominent figure in the Portuguese press and political life of the early 20th century.

The tour will explore the lives and careers of influential journalists buried at this cemetery, tracing the evolution of the Portuguese press through their stories. Visitors will gain insight into the history behind some of the most widely read newspapers of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Diário de Notícias, O Século, and A Capital, and develop a deeper understanding of the social and political impact of the press in Portugal’s recent history.

Workshop: The skeleton responds

On 25 May 2025, at 11:00 AM, a special philosophy workshop for children will take place at the Alto de São João Cemetery. Designed for children aged 7 to 11 (accompanied by an adult), this engaging session invites participants to explore some of life’s biggest questions, starting with one of the hardest - death.

Part of a series of philosophy workshops for children, this "vital workshop on fatal matters" will take as its starting point the questions collected in previous workshops to seek answers in the cemetery. After visiting the cemetery and observing their surroundings, children and adults will be encouraged to reflect, share their thoughts, and discuss the topic together.

Led by Joana Rita Sousa, the workshop will be conducted in Portuguese and offers a thoughtful, age-appropriate introduction to philosophical inquiry.

Additional information

For any questions regarding the guided tour or the workshop, please contact cemiterios.visitas@cm-lisboa.pt.

Brihuega Municipal Cemetery (Brihuega, Spain)

The cemetery lies within the historic Castle of La Peña Bermeja and retains its original 19th-century design.

About the cemetery

The cemetery of Brihuega, dating back to the 19th century, is located within the Castle of La Peña Bermeja, the oldest building in the town. The castle was likely constructed between the 9th and 11th centuries, during the Caliphate era. From the parade ground (Prado de Santa María), the site is accessed through the Puerta del Rastrillo, located next to the apse of the Church of Santa María. This gate leads into the courtyard, now referred to as the upper cemetery.

The exact year of the castle’s construction is unknown. The cemetery was established in 1834, prompted by a cholera epidemic that broke out in August of that year. Its design has since been restored to reflect its original state. Today, the cemetery remains in active use.

Important figures in the cemetery

Among the notable individuals buried there are:

• Don Ramón Casas, a deputy and one of the main driving forces behind Brihuega's celebration of the 2nd Centenary of the Battle of Brihuega and Villaviciosa during the War of the Spanish Succession.
• Don Jesús Ruiz Pastor, a true patron of Brihuega in the 20th century, who was responsible for the construction of one of the town’s most emblematic buildings, la Plaza de Toros, among many other contributions.
• Don Valeriano Herrera, originally from Salamanca but a Brihuega local by marriage, to whom we owe the town’s largest photographic archive.
• Don Juan Elegido Millán, a magician and hypnotist born in Brihuega. A tireless collector of miniatures from around the world. His passion is reflected today in the Miniature Museum housed in the Convent of San José.
• Don Antonio Pareja Serrada, whose remains were recently brought to the Brihuega cemetery from Madrid's Almudena cemetery. Born in Brihuega in 1844, he was a provincial chronicler, historian, and devoted admirer of his hometown.

Cemetery address

Prado de Santa María
19400 Brihuega
Spain

Website

https://turismobrihuega.com/lugar-que-ver/castillo/

Basic data

Date of first burial: 1834
Cemetery area: 3500 m2
Approximate number of graves: 650

WDEC 2025 in Dresden

As part of WDEC 2025, the Inner Neustadt Cemetery in Dresden will host a special evening featuring a screening of the documentary GOING TO ÚSTÍ and an artist’s talk with Pastor Björn Fischer.

About the event

On the evening of May 29, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the Inner Neustadt Cemetery in Dresden will host a special screening of the documentary GOING TO ÚSTÍ, followed by an artist’s talk with Pastor Björn Fischer. The event, organized by Women In Remembrance Culture, invites the public to reflect on forgotten histories, cultural memory, and the role of art in dealing with the past.

The documentary follows Dresden artist Susan Donath, who has been engaged with sepulchral culture for many years. In this short film, she is accompanied by documentary filmmaker Valérie Madoka Naito as she takes care of a German-Czech grave in the Střekov Cemetery in Ústí nad Labem, which she has been tending as part of an art project since 2008.

About the Střekov Cemetery

The Střekov Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic), is divided into two areas: well-tended graves of the Czech population and crypts of the former German population. This division is particularly evident on the western wall of the cemetery. In the 19th century, crypts were built there, most of which were sold or leased to the German population until the beginning of the 20th century. In the wake of political events – the Munich Agreement of 1938 with the incorporation of the Sudeten German territories, the occupation of Bohemia by the German Wehrmacht in 1939 and the Second World War – the German population was expelled after 1945.

For the cemetery, this meant that almost all German graves had not been tended or maintained by their owners since 1945. The cemetery administration took care of the graves on a temporary basis. To this day, the question of what will happen to the graves remains unanswered.

Additional information

Contact person:

• Valérie Madoka Naito (naito@wirc.network)

Websites:

• www.wirc.network
• www.naito.eu
• www.susandonath.com
• www.die-bilder-kommen-zurück.com
• www.neustaedter-friedhoefe.de

Social media:

• @donath_susan 

WDEC 2025 in Bristol

Join us for an engaging and informative walk through the beautiful Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol, UK, as part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2025.

About the event

On Saturday, 24 May 2025, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm, a classic guided tour will take place at Arnos Vale Cemetery, exploring its rich history, present role, and future vision.

Participants will discover the cemetery’s story from its founding in 1837 to its current role as a burial ground, heritage site, community space, and green oasis. The tour will highlight fascinating and unusual symbols and graves, introduce some of the cemetery’s most notable residents, and share their stories and lasting impact on the city of Bristol. Visitors will also learn about the site's architectural and landscape heritage, including its stunning listed buildings.

The event is organized by the Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust. For more information, visit their website or contact Janine Marriott at janine.marriott@arnosvale.org.uk.

WDEC 2025 in Krakow

As part of WDEC 2025, join a traditional guided walk at the New Cemetery of Podgórze, featuring ten new important personalities buried at this cemetery.

About the event

The Association PODGORZE.PL invites you to a free guided walk around the New Cemetery of Podgórze in Kraków, Poland, titled "In the footsteps of famous people". Each year, stories of different well-known individuals buried in this cemetery are shared. This year, we will visit ten new graves to discover the lives of the people buried there. 

The guided walk will take place on 27 May 2025, at 18:00, starting at the main gate of the cemetery (Wapienna Street 13). It will be guided by members and friends of the Association PODGORZE.PL and will be conducted in Polish. For additional information please contact the organizers at biuro@podgorze.pl.

Link to the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1231213098626814

WDEC 2025 in Alcoy

Find out about the guided tours taking place at the Sant Antoni Abat Cemetery in Alcoy, Spain, as part of this year's Week of Discovering European Cemeteries.

Event program

➤ Saturday, 31 May 2025

11.00: Guided tour of the Alcoy Monumental Cemetery
Information and registration: www.qtmariola.com
Price 15,00 €

18.00: Dramatized tour of the Cemetery "In the shade of cypresses"
Information and registration: www.guiarteconarte.es or tel. 650 59 42 32
Price: 12 €

➤ Sunday, 1 June 2025

10.00: Guided tour of the Alcoy Monumental Cemetery
Information and registration: www.qtmariola.com
Price: 15 € (children under 8 years old free)

11.00: Dramatized tour of the Cemetery "In the shade of cypresses"
Information and registration: www.guiarteconarte.es or tel. 650 59 42 32
Price: 12 €

12.00: Freemasonry route in the Alcoy Cemetery
Information and registration: www.qtmariola.com
Price: 15 € (children under 8 years old free)

Official flayer

You can download the official flyer with the program of events at the Sant Antoni Abat Cemetery at the following links:

• English flyer
• Spanish flyer

26th Cemeteries Colloquium: Programme

The Cemetery Research Group is pleased to share the programme for the 26th Cemeteries Colloquium, which will take place on 23 May 2025 in York, UK.

About the event

On the 23rd of May 2025, the 26th Cemeteries Colloquium will take place as a live meeting from 08:45 to 17:15 (GMT) in the Church Lane Building on the University of York’s West campus.

The Colloquium, organized by the Cemetery Research Group (CRG), has developed into an essential forum for the discussion of new and emerging cemetery scholarship and is multi-disciplinary, accepting papers from across the humanities and social sciences. The event has a strong emphasis on discussion, and its international and interdisciplinary nature makes the meeting particularly thought-provoking.

Programme and tickets

The organisers are pleased to share the full programme for the event, which can be accessed HERE. In addition to the schedule, the programme includes key information about the colloquium as well as abstracts of the presentations.

Tickets for the event are already available on Eventbrite (search for 26th Cemeteries Colloquium).
Accommodation is not included in the colloquium fee.

For any additional questions, please contact Dr Julie Rugg at julie.rugg@york.ac.uk.

Note: In addition to the in-person meeting in May, the Cemetery Research Group will also host a second, fully online event in November. Further details will be published in due course.

*Photo source: www.cemeteryresearch.org

WDEC 2025 in Berlin

Explore the program of events taking place at various cemeteries in Berlin during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2025 and later on.

23-24 May 2025

Be the first bird - Bird listening at St. Elisabeth II

• About the event: A nature education program for families, including an overnight stay.
• Schedule: Friday, 23 May at 17:00 to Saturday, 24 May at 08:00
• Location: Cemetery Chapel of St. Elisabeth II
• Organizer: Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center
• More information: https://evfbs.de/

23 May 2025

JAMES TURRELL - Light Art Presentation

• About the event: An art exhibition accompanied by an introductory lecture in German and English, held from Friday to Sunday at sunset (start times vary).
• Schedule: Friday, 23 May at 20:45
• Location: Dorotheenstädt Cemetery I
• Organizer: Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center
• More information: https://evfbs.de/

24 May 2025

For all eternity - A tour of the Dorotheenstädt Cemetery

• About the event: A guided tour exploring the history and significance of one of Berlin’s most renowned cemeteries.
• Schedule: Saturday, 24 May from 11:00 to 13:00
• Location: Dorotheenstädt Cemetery I
• Organizer: Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center
• More information: https://evfbs.de/

30-31 May 2025

Be the first bird - Bird listening at St. Elisabeth II

• About the event: A nature education program for families, including an overnight stay.
• Schedule: Friday, 30 May at 17:00 to Saturday, 31 May at 08:00 
• Location: Cemetery Chapel of St. Elisabeth II
• Organizer: Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center
• More information: https://evfbs.de/

31 May 2025

JAMES TURRELL - Light Art Presentation

• About the event: An art exhibition accompanied by an introductory lecture in German and English, held from Friday to Sunday at sunset (start times vary).
• Schedule: Saturday, 31 May at 20:45
• Location: Dorotheenstädt Cemetery I
• Organizer: Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center
• More information: https://evfbs.de/

1 June 2025

Guided tour of the Dorotheenstädt Cemetery

• About the event: Discover the stories and resting places of notable figures on a guided tour through this historic cemetery.
• Schedule: Sunday, 1 June at 15:00
• Location: Dorotheenstädt Cemetery I
• Organizer: Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center
• More information: https://evfbs.de/

More to come

Additional events are published on the website of the Evangelical Cemetery Association of Berlin City Center: https://evfbs.de.

1945-2025 Monuments and tombs tell the story of the Liberation

A digital itinerary featuring some of the notable Italian monuments and tombs that tell the story of the Liberation from Nazi-fascism.

This year, April 25th carries special significance. Not only because it's the 80th anniversary of Italy's Liberation from Nazi-fascism, but also because it's a symbolic date marking the end of the Second World War. Today, several armed conflicts are still ongoing, even not too far from our country, which oblige us to reflect on the Resistance, its protagonists, and the enduring meaning of the Liberation.

The 2025 project of the Working Group for the Historical-Artistic and Touristic Valorization of Italian Public Cemeteries of Utilitalia SEFIT, aims to highlight some of the monuments and tombs that tell the story of the Liberation inside and outside cemetery walls. This initiative is presented through a digital Google Maps itinerary titled "1945–2025: Monuments and Tombs Tell the Story of the Liberation", accessible HERE.

*Photo: Verano cemetery - Sepolcreto dei caduti nella lotta per la Liberazione, © Daniele.Brundu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

ASCE President at the International Conference in Nova Gorica

ASCE President, Mrs. Lidija Pliberšek, participated in the International Conference on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, held from April 14 to 16, 2025.

About the event

From April 14 to 16, 2025, the ASCE President, Mrs. Lidija Pliberšek, participated in the International Conference "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Recognition and Preservation of Cultural Heritage in Cross-Border Regions", held in the cross-border towns of Gorizia (Italy), Nova Gorica, and Tolmin (Slovenia).

The event gathered representatives of the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes, cultural heritage experts, local community representatives, and partners of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) to explore the role of Cultural Routes in fostering cross-border cooperation and preserving shared heritage.

Presentation of ASCE and European Cemeteries Route

As part of the official conference program, Mrs. Pliberšek presented the work of ASCE and the European Cemeteries Route, a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. In her presentation, cemeteries were portrayed as complex cultural landscapes with multiple dimensions: spaces of remembrance and burial, carriers of cultural and historical narratives, and increasingly as destinations for respectful, value-based tourism.

ASCE President also highlighted several key ASCE projects and the Park of Remembrance in Maribor, Slovenia, opened as part of the European Capital of Culture 2012, as a cross-border symbol of shared memory of the victims of the First and Second World Wars and post-war killings – without divisions and without judgments of values.

Her presentation emphasized the significance of cemeteries and the European Cemeteries Route in fostering cross-border cultural awareness and preserving Europe’s diverse heritage.

You can find the event program HERE.

Piran Cemetery (Piran, Slovenia)

A unique cultural landmark that reflects the town’s rich heritage, architectural elegance, and multicultural legacy.

About the cemetery

The old town cemetery was located near the parish church of St. George. Prominent Piran families arranged their tombs inside Piran’s churches. Some records suggest that as early as 1765, the Piran municipal assembly sought to relocate the cemetery outside the city walls, but actual preparations began only in the early 19th century. Based on plans of Pietro Gregoretti, the cemetery was completed in its current location in 1812.

By the 1860s, the cemetery had to be expanded. During this time, the cemetery church of St. Mohor and Fortunat and the entrance hall were built. The project was designed by Piran architect Giuseppe Moso. A memorial plaque indicates that the cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Trieste-Koper, Bartolomeo Legat, on September 27, 1862.

To store bones from abandoned and emptied graves, an ossuary (Ossario di Pirano) was built in the 1930s. It served its purpose for 24 years, from 1939 to 1963. Even today, the remains of hundreds of Piran residents are preserved there in wooden boxes, each labeled the deceased's name, surname, and in some cases a photograph. The Piran ossuary is the only example of its kind in Slovenian Istria.

As Piran’s population grew, burial spaces became scarce, leading to multiple cemetery expansions and renovations. In the 1960s, the cemetery gained its first mortuary chapels, designed by architect Edo Mihevc. Previously, the deceased were kept at home or in hospitals before burial. During the same period, the children’s section of the cemetery was expanded.

Further expansions followed over time. Unique features of the cemetery include a concrete tomb modeled after a similar structure in Trieste, as well as a commemorative monument for those whose ashes were scattered in the sea.

Today, the cemetery represents a significant cultural and artistic heritage site, showcasing a rich collection of historical tombstones, architectural details, and artistic elements that reflect the centuries-long history of Piran.

Important architectural and landscape design elements

The Piran Cemetery boasts rich architectural and artistic heritage. Key features include:

• the Entrance hall (Giuseppe Moso, 1860)
• the Chapel of St. Mohor and Fortunat
• the De Castro family tomb
• numerous obelisks and artistically designed tomb sculptures
• the historic ossuary, the only one in Slovenian Istria

The cemetery was designed following the Trieste model and influenced by Italian cemetery architecture, with a grand entrance and a central chapel. A notable feature is its terraced layout, enclosed by a fence, typical of the Tuscan style. The strong historical ties between Trieste and the Istrian Peninsula are reflected in the artistic influences and the presence of artists who lived and worked in both regions.

Like other Istrian cemeteries, Piran’s cemetery is distinguished by tall, pyramid-shaped cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens), which line its pathways, visually dominating the space and enhancing the landscape design.

Historic significance of the cemetery

The Piran Cemetery is a significant historical testament to the city's multicultural past and the political changes that shaped its development. Over the centuries, Piran was governed by various regimes, each leaving its mark on the city and its cemetery, reflecting Istrian-Venetian, Austro-Hungarian, French, Italian, and Croatian influences. Due to Piran’s multicultural history, gravestones bear inscriptions in multiple languages, reflecting the diverse regimes and cultures that coexisted in the region.

The cemetery is also the final resting place of notable figures, including:

• Enrico Fonda (Italian painter)
• Antonio Sema (Italian historian and writer)
• František Čap (director, screenwriter, editor)
• Herman Pečarič (Slovenian painter)
• Zdravko Slamnik (writer, aka Pavle Zidar)
• Viktor Birsa (Slovenian painter)
• Diego de Castro (Italian historian and writer)
• Janez Lenassi (Slovenian sculptor)
• Zvest Apollonio (Slovenian painter)
• Rita Pierobon (Italian opera singer)
• Ulay – Frank Uwe Laysiepen (German artist)
• Vinci Vogue Anžlovar (Slovenian director, screenwriter, composer, editor, and actor).

Cemetery address

Fiesa 1,
6330 Piran,
Slovenia

Contacts

Javno podjetje OKOLJE Piran d.o.o.
Arze 1b, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
+386 5 617 50 00
info@okoljepiran.si

Basic data

Date of first burial: June 1st 1812
Cemetery area: 2ha
Approximate number of graves: 3700
Approximate number of yearly burials: 140

WDEC 2025 in Budapest

Discover the activities that took place in Fiumei Road Cemetery as part of the WDEC 2025 and the Gardens of 80 project.

New Flower Bed

As part of this year's Week of Discovering European Cemeteries and the Gardens of 80 project, a new flower bed was created at the World War II memorial, a frequently visited part of the Fiumei Road Cemetery. The composition, featuring a dove and the number 80, was made of flowers in two colors and symbolizes 80 years of peace following the end of World War II.

Live Image Flash Mob

On May 9, 2025, a special event took place at Fiumei Road Cemetery, where students came together to create a powerful visual message of unity and hope. Together, they formed the word “PEACE” in a coordinated human formation flash mob.

This formation was recorded by a drone. The footage was later enhanced with a musical background and shared publicly as a meaningful message of peace.

Message of Peace

Mr. Gábor Móczár, General Director of the Hungarian National Heritage Institute, took a short walk through the newly planted tree alley at Fiumei Road Cemetery, consisting of nearly 80 trees, and shared his message of peace in a brief speech.

Guided Walk

A special guided walk entitled "The Struggle of Our Ancestors Is Transformed into Peace Through Remembrance" will take place at the Fiumei Road Cemetery, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II. During the programme, we will explore life’s works of the writers, poets, and visual artists buried here, seeking to understand how the themes of war and peace appear in their creative legacy.

Highlights of the walk include:

• The Memorial to the Hungarian Victims of World War II
• Poets Mihály Babits and Miklós Radnóti
• Sculptor György Zala and painter Jenő Barcsay
• Composer Ferenc Erkel

The walk took place on May 9, 2025, and was conducted in Hungarian.

The photo was taken at the grave of Endre Ady during the guided walk. His poem “Man Among Inhumanity” became an iconic anti-war piece during World War II.

Additional information

For any questions, please contact István Kovács at istvan.kovacs@nori.gov.hu.

Spring events at Brussels Cemeteries 2025

Check out the latest issue of Epitaaf's publication Tafofiel and explore the events program taking place at Brussels' cemeteries this spring.

Cemeteries as cultural spaces

Cemeteries are transforming into vibrant cultural spaces that bring together history, heritage, and community. Far from being places of silence alone, they host a wide variety of public activities that invite reflection, discovery, and participation. These events reflect a growing awareness of the role cemeteries play not only as places of remembrance but also as shared cultural landscapes. They contribute to making heritage more accessible and meaningful to all generations.

Spring events at Brussels Cemeteries

This spring, cemeteries across Brussels are hosting a variety of events that highlight the significance of these spaces. Discover the full overview of activities in the latest edition of Tafofiel, the official publication of the Epitaaf association.

You can download Tafofiel 66 (in Dutch) HERE.

Appointment in the Garden 2025

APGI - Associazione Parchi e Giardini d'Italia invites you to join the Appointment in the Garden initiative, which will take place on the 7th and 8th of June 2025.

Cemeteries as gardens

Cemeteries are often overlooked as green spaces, yet, in many ways, they are gardens in their own right—places where nature, memory, and culture intertwine. Landscaped with care, shaped by history, and rich in symbolism, cemeteries form serene environments for reflection, remembrance, and discovery.

In this context, we are pleased to forward the invitation from APGI - Associazione Parchi e Giardini d'Italia to participate in the "Appuntamento in Giardino" initiative (English: Appointment in the Garden), which this year beautifully aligns with the ASCE Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, both in theme and timing.

About the "Appuntamento in Giardino" initiative

Designed as a garden celebration, the event invites the general public to rediscover Italy’s gardens as living cultural heritage through a variety of events and activities. Participation is open to all gardens, whether historic or contemporary, that have historical, artistic, landscape, or botanical significance.

Held in collaboration with Rendez-vous aux Jardins, this initiative will take place simultaneously in numerous European countries.

For more information about the initiative, click HERE or visit the website www.apgi.it.

Theme: Gardens of stones, stones of the garden

Year after year, the chosen theme invites the public to rediscover the universe of the garden through a new perspective. This year’s theme for the "Appuntamento in Giardino" initiative is Gardens of Stones, Stones of the Garden.

Please note that aligning with the proposed theme is not mandatory for the design of proposed activities. You can animate the days with a wide variety of events, including guided tours, conferences, meetings with owners, gardeners, and botanists, gardening lessons, workshops for children, demonstrations, concerts, performances, exhibitions, tastings, night openings, and more.

How to participate

Each garden can choose one or more days to participate in the initiative (Saturday, 7 June; Sunday, 8 June; or both days).

Registrations will be open until the 1st of May 2025. You can sign up your garden HERE.

For any questions, please contact appuntamentoingiardino@apgi.it.

AGM 2025: Accommodation in Dresden

Accommodation options for the AGM 2025, taking place in Dresden, Germany, from 4 to 6 September.

Event date and locations

This year's AGM and Conference will take place from 4 to 6 September 2025 in Dresden, Germany.

The event will take place in the Kulturrathaus – a cultural center located at Königstraße 15, 01097 Dresden, Germany.

Conference theme

This year ASCE’s annual conference will focus on the theme "Future through Remembrance". Against the background of the end of World War II we want to focus on communication and interaction. You can find all the details HERE.

Accommodation suggestions

Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation for the AGM. To make this process as easy as possible, we have prepared a list of recommended hotels near the event venue. The list is available at the link below, where you can also make your reservation.

Nonetheless, staying at one of these hotels is not required. You are free to use booking platforms to find other accommodation options that better suit your needs.

➤ MAKE YOUR RESERVATION

ASCE Conference 2025: Call for papers

The theme of this year's conference is "Future through Remembrance". Presentation abstracts should be submitted by May 5, 2025.

Conference theme: Future through Remembrance

This year ASCE’s annual conference will focus on the theme "Future through Remembrance", a challenging subject for all the participants in the cemetery's heritage field. Against the background of the end of World War II we want to focus on communication and interaction.

• Get started transforming stories from your cemetery.
• Get your cemetery story told.
• Use IT and social media.
• Not get lost in your cemetery story archive.
• Find partners for your storytelling project.
• Finance your cemetery art or film project.
• Be strong in realizing your cemetery story project against all odds.

For more information about the content and about proposed ideas for the authors please find attached the link to a project on the victims of violence and war in Dresden’s cemeteries that has just been published by rhetorical City of Dresden: https://www.dresdner-friedhoefe.de.

Conference dates and location

The Conference will take place on Friday and Saturday, September 5-6, 2025, in Dresden, Germany.
The venue and event program will be released in the following weeks.

Proposals

Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words summarising your intended paper no later than Monday, May 5, 2025, by using the following form.

FORM FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS

Accepted authors will be notified by June 15, 2025.

Conference papers

Presentations should last no longer than 15 minutes, excluding questions.

We are seeking speakers with practical knowledge or experience who can communicate interesting and diverse presentations to the international audience.

The conference language is English. 

Editorial board

• Prof. Thomas Kübler, phd
• Ian Dungavell, phd
• Andreea Pop, phd
• Ioanna Paraskevopoulou, phd

Further information

For any questions, please contact Andreea Pop at andreea@significantcemeteries.org.

Feriköy Protestant Cemetery, Istanbul: New website, new bulletin

The Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative has updated its website, which includes the latest edition of the bulletin The Ledger.

The Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative has updated its website with fresh content about the cemetery and the Initiative’s efforts to preserve and promote it for more than half a decade. Besides presenting six years of activities and outreach, the site contains publications and other resources about the cemetery. 

Included among the items is the latest edition of the Initiative’s bulletin, The Ledger, published in December 2024. Entering its fifth year in 2025, the bulletin not only reports current happenings but also features articles about the cemetery's inhabitants and history, highlighting new information as it comes to light.

Inquiries about the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative and its projects can be sent to info@ferikoycemetery.org. Correspondence about The Ledger can be addressed to the editor bdjohnson62@gmail.com.

Book: "Cementerios y migraciones"

A fascinating book by Celeste Castiglione about migration, memory, and burial spaces in Buenos Aires.

About the book

The book "Cementerios y migraciones: Memorias, espacios funerarios y otras historias de la provincia de Buenos Aires" by Celeste Castiglione delves into the history of migration in the province of Buenos Aires by examining the experience of death far from one’s homeland. 

Through the lens of cemeteries, she explores these spaces as unique sites where memory, identity, and cultural influences converge. These burial grounds serve as witnesses to social dynamics, revealing patterns, ruptures, and continuities that shape collective history.

Find out more at www.edunpaz.unpaz.edu.ar

New book release: “Florence's English Cemetery, 1827-1877: Thunders of White Silence”

An overview of all the tombs at the English Cemetery in Florence and insight into its restoration.

About the book

We are pleased to announce the publication of a comprehensive new work, Florence's English Cemetery, 1827-1877: Thunders of White Silence, by Julia Bolton Holloway, the custodian of the English Cemetery in Florence for over two decades.

This 927-page volume, with a 53-page index, meticulously catalogs all existing and lost tombs of the English Cemetery in Florence (which is part of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe), drawing from extensive archival records. The final chapter details the restoration of the cemetery and its beautiful iris garden—Florence's lily—a project carried out by Romanian Roma in Florence, who were taught literacy skills and the art of incising inscriptions on marble.

Book purchase

The book is available through Cambridge University Press, with a 25% discount for registered users. All royalties from the book will support the ongoing preservation of the cemetery.

XIth City and Book Conference: Call for papers

The Aureo Anello Association invites you to participate in the XIth City and Book International Conference, taking place on 26 April 2025 in Florence, Italy, and via Zoom.

About the event

The Accademia delle Arti del Disegno (Via Orsanmichele 4, 50123 Firenze, Italy) will host the XIth City and Book International Conference on Saturday, 26 April 2025.

The event will be conducted both in person and via Zoom, ensuring accessibility for a global audience.

Call for papers

For more information, including guidelines for presentation submissions and registration details, please contact Julia Bolton Holloway, president of the Aureo Anello Association, at juliananchoress@gmail.com.

As customary, the proceedings will be published on the Aureo Anello Association website.

*Photo source: www.florin.ms