WDEC 2026 at Pobrežje Cemetery

As part of WDEC 2026, Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, the presiding member of ASCE, has prepared several educational and socially important activities at Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia.

Cultural Days for Elementary School Students

On 18 May, a cultural day was held at Pobrežje Cemetery for pupils of OŠ Ludvika Pliberška Maribor, followed by a second cultural day on 26 May for pupils of OŠ Toneta Čufarja Maribor. Both events offered students an alternative learning environment in which they explored the history of the city and its inhabitants through commemorative narratives and heritage interpretation, with the help of the mobile app Artour.

The activities enabled pupils to engage with Maribor’s past in a direct and experiential way. They strengthened understanding of cultural heritage, fostered respectful attitudes towards memorial spaces, and encouraged reflection on memory, tradition, and intergenerational connection. The cemetery was presented as a place of learning, calm, and cultural diversity, reinforcing its role within the city’s historical identity.

Bereavement Support Project

On 26 May, the first group meeting within the project “Grief does not heal in isolation; together it is easier to bear” was held in the multipurpose hall of Pogrebno podjetje Maribor at Pobrežje Cemetery, marking the launch of a new series of monthly bereavement support sessions.

The initiative addressed the continuing need for structured support for individuals coping with the loss of a loved one, extending care beyond the funeral period when grief often becomes most intense. It was emphasized that grief should not be understood as something to be “fixed,” but rather as a natural process requiring time, understanding, and a supportive environment.

The programme created a safe space for sharing experiences and emotions and promoted a more open societal understanding of bereavement. The sessions were facilitated by internationally accredited coach and mentor Ana Kordeš, who highlighted the importance of time, space, and compassionate presence in the grieving process.

Slovenian Cemeteries Route Project

The WDEC 2026 focused on the theme Quality Education, in alignment with Goal 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within this framework, the Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe, under the presidency of Lidija Pliberšek, Director of Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, together with the Chamber of Public Utilities of Slovenia (ZKGS), launched a joint initiative – the Slovenian Cemeteries Route project.

Inspired by the internationally recognised European Cemeteries Route, the project aims to connect Slovenian cemeteries into a unique cultural and tourist network that preserves memory, promotes heritage, and opens cemetery spaces to a wider public.

As part of the initiative, cemetery managers across Slovenia were invited to identify three key points of cultural or historical significance at each site, including notable individuals, monuments, or distinctive landscape features. The collected contributions will form the basis for a nationwide map of cemeteries interpreted through cultural and historical heritage.

You can find more information about the Slovenian Cemeteries Route project HERE or explore the route through the dedicated application.

Photo exhibition "Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe"

The company Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, presiding member of ASCE, has prepared a special photo exhibition at Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia.

About the exhibition

The exhibition "Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe" showcases photographs and descriptions of some good practices developed by ASCE members as part of the ASCE "Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe" initiative, which promotes the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The installation presents the initiative, highlights activities implemented by nine cemeteries across Europe in 2024 and 2025, and also features the Peace Tree Project along with the cemeteries that have joined the project so far. These examples demonstrate how European cemeteries are actively working towards sustainability, addressing various aspects from environmental management to community engagement.

More than just a display of good practice, the exhibition seeks to raise awareness and inspire action. It invites visitors to see cemeteries not only as places of remembrance but also as key actors in sustainable development. By sharing these stories, it encourages communities across Europe to adopt similar approaches and reflect on sustainability in everyday life.

This long-term exhibition, located in front of the chapel at Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia, is on display from September 2025 onwards.

Photos of the exhibition

*The entire photo album of the exhibition is available HERE.

WDEC 2023 at the Pobrežje Cemetery

At the Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia, the beginning of this year's Week of Discovering European Cemeteries was marked by a special event.

Peace tree project

On Thursday, 25 May 2023, at 11am, the president of ASCE, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, and the director of Budapest cemeteries, Mr Móczár Gábor Attila, planted a tree and placed a memorial board next to the peace monument at Pobrežje Cemetery.

The event represented not only the opening of the WDEC, but also the start of a new international project "Peace tree". As part of this project, ASCE members will plant trees in their cemeteries and set up memorials to emphasize the significance of peace in life, under the slogan "Live in peace to rest in peace!". The first tree of this project was thus planted in Maribor.

More details about the project are available HERE.

Cultural day for students

Also on 25 May 2023, a cultural day for students of the elementary school Tone Čufar from Maribor was held at Pobrežje Cemetery. As part of the event, students learned about the cultural heritage of European cemeteries, history, and geography at the cemetery and in the city with the help of information technologies. Similar events are regularly held at the Pobrežje Cemetery as part of the project Schools on Cemeteries.

Exhibition of mourning floristry

From 25 to 27 May 2023, the traditional exhibition of contemporary mourning floristry was on display in front of the flower shop at the entrance to the Pobrežje Cemetery, which the florists prepare each year as part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries. This year's theme of the exhibition was "Green days of floristry" with the emphasis on the importance of sustainability in the production of mourning floristry.

Tour of the cemetery with ARtour

An activity that is always available to visitors is an independent tour of the Pobrežje Cemetery with the help of the mobile guide ARtour. ARtour is a free mobile application which provides visitors with an interactive and educational experience and takes them along the different paths of the Pobrežje Cemetery, where they learn about historical monuments, important personalities, sports and medical legends, and more.

Contemporary funeral trends shaping the cultural heritage of the future

Straight clean lines. Modest decoration. Absence of traditional religious symbols. This is the cemetery heritage of the future.  

The new farewell hall at Pobrežje Cemetery

Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, the presiding member of ASCE, has completed the construction of a new farewell hall at Pobrežje Cemetery. One of the largest investments of the company offers a modern space for the implementation of funeral and cemetery activities as well as other occasions, such as meetings and conferences. It includes rooms for the reception of mourners with 72 seats, advanced audio and video equipment and a landscaped outdoor park. 

Cultural heritage of the future

With straight clean lines and without excessive decorative elements, the design of this modern complex reflects the architectural and funerary trends of today. Minimalism and practicality are at the forefront and with the absence of traditional religious symbols this complex is moving away from the traditional cemetery infrastructure we are used to seeing in European cemeteries. A similar trend can be observed on graves and tombstones that are becoming more and more typified, simple and unadorned. In a way, similar to each other. 

Nevertheless, graves, monuments, architecture, symbols and funerary customs present at today's cemeteries are a representation of our current society. They are the legacy that we will leave behind and will tell stories of the world that we live in now. Therefore, it is necessary to acknowledge their importance and try to protect and preserve them, just like we try to preserve every other aspect of cultural heritage in cemeteries.

WDEC 2021 in Maribor

Highlighting the diversity and interconnectedness of European cemeteries through the poster exhibition "Crossroads of Diversity".

20 years of ASCE, 20 days of WDEC

This year we are celebrating 20 years since the founding of ASCE and in honor of this important anniversary, Week of discovering European Cemeteries ran for 20 days, from 28 May to 16 June 2021. The central theme was the emphasis on diversity in cemeteries in all its forms and on this basis, an international project Crossroads of Diversity was carried out, in which the diversity of cemeteries across Europe was presented through interesting photos in an online photo book.

Poster exhibition "Crossroads of diversity"

Maribor, as the presiding member of ASCE, decided to highlight the diversity and interconnectedness of European cemeteries even more. A selection of 20 photos from the 37 that were part of the Crossroads of Diversity photo book, were then presented on posters at the Pobrežje and Dobrava cemeteries in Maribor, Slovenia. Each day during the WDEC 2021, visitors of Maribor's cemeteries were able to get to know one of Europe's amazing and unique cemeteriesm, one of the crossroads of diversity.

You can see some of the posters in the photo gallery below.