25 years of preserving the heritage of humanity

Since 2001, members of ASCE have gathered in mission to preserve and promote the cultural heritage, resting in cemeteries. Join us in celebrating 25 years of our joint efforts through two special activities.

Our Mission and Journey

Since 2001, members of ASCE have gathered in mission to preserve and promote the cultural heritage, resting in cemeteries.

To tackle the common belief that these are the places of death and instead focusing on the stories of life. Millions of stories expressed through tiny symbols on tombstones or grandeur of chapels and mausoleums, each being a masterpiece of its own.

ASCE became the largest and most important international association working on this mission. Gaining recognition and influencing how the public and institutions perceive cemeteries. Through changing their perception we gather more support in performing our activities.

A Continuous Process

It is a continuous process now embodied in various projects of ASCE like Week Of Discovering European Cemeteries, European Cemeteries Route, Symbols, Schools on cemeteries, Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe, Peace tree and many others.

This is the work of countless people; cemeteries employees, enthusiasts, researchers, managers and other professionals who find our common mission important.

Yet this is the work that never stops. Each day is a discovery of an old story, a start of a new story waiting to be discovered. Every year we find new challenges that we must overcome at our cemeteries.

This is why we must celebrate the achievements of the past 25 years and look forward to the future. Finding more opportunities to cooperate with each other, more ideas to work together on common projects.

25 years of ASCE

25 years of exploring, observing, teaming up, exchanging ideas, smiles, friendships, music, teaching. 25 yeras of preserving and promoting the heritage resting in European cemeteries.

Press play an take a journey through the memories, milestones, and people who have shaped these remarkable 25 years.

Join the Celebration

Presidency and Steering Committee of ASCE invite you to mark our joint efforts this year by 2 activities:

• Publish and encourage sending of our symbolic postcard.
• Print the 25 years banner and when performing your activities this year, send us a photo with the banner in the background.

25 Years of ASCE Postcard

The 25th winter Olympic games in Milan took place as 25 years of ASCE is celebrated.

To celebrate both, our anniversary postcard is dedicated to the memories of life of extraordinary athletes resting in Significant Cemeteries of Europe. Those who mastered their body and mind to move the boundaries. Either by setting the records or competing at the olympic games. Winter or summer.

Members of ASCE are invited to use the postcard template and print their own version, exposing the athletes that are resting in their cemetery and other cemeteries all over Europe.

How to participate?

• Download the template.
• Change 1-3 circles with your own choice of athletes.
• Make sure you send one postcard to the address of ASCE presidency:
  
  ASCE
  Cesta XIV. divizije 39a
  2000 Maribor
  Slovenia

Download PDF

25 Years of ASCE Banner

Let’s celebrate 25 years of ASCE together, all over Europe. At any event you organise or take part in this year, display the ASCE 25 years banner and capture a memorable photo with your participants.

To showcase our unity, send us photos from the event along with a short description of the occasion, so that we can share them on our website, social media, and other communication channels.

Show us how proud you are to be part of the largest network working towards a common mission of preserving and promoting the cultural heritage resting in cemeteries.

How to participate?

• Print out the official ASCE 25 years banner.
• Gather your staff and visitors in front of it during events.
• Snap a photo and email it to us alongside your event description to be featured at:
  
  admin@significantcemeteries.org

Download PDF

Memorial evenings at Eastern Cemetery in Innsbruck

Every year, a memorial evening will take place at Eastern Cemetery in Innsbruck in honour of people who, during their lifetime, left an important mark on society in terms of togetherness, mindfulness, and peace.

Memorial evening for Edith Stein

On October 7, 2022, a concert and reading took place on the 80th anniversary of Edith Stein's death as part of "Quo Vadis Fundamentum" initiative, compiled by Tony Obergantschnig and with the collaboration of artist and Guitarist Walter Tolloy, the musician Markus Geyr, and the actress Bernadette Abendstein, who read texts from Edith Stein.

This was the start of a new series of such evenings in the consecration hall in the Eastern Cemetery in Innsbruck, Austria.

Each year, a deceased personality will be commemorated, alternately a woman and a man. Among them there will be Gandhi, Bertha von Suttner, Charly Chaplin, Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach and other people who - no matter what religious or philosophical direction they came from - have stood up for people "interreligiously" and "interphilosophically". People, who left an important mark on society in terms of togetherness, mindfulness, and peace.

The first evening was a complete success. Everyone present was enthusiastic about the ambience and the event itself. 

On this LINK you can watch a short video with photos of the first event dedicated to Edith Stein.

200th Anniversary of the Piratello Cemetery

Imola's monumental cemetery is organizing special guided tours in honor of its 200th anniversary.

Inauguration of the commemorative plaque

On Saturday, October 30, 2021, at 15.45, you are invited to the inauguration of the restored commemorative plaque which marks 200 years from the blessing of the first cloister at the Piratello Cemetery. The inauguration will start at the old part of the cemetery and will then continue in the sanctuary of Piratello.

You can find the official invitation in Italian HERE.

Guided tours at the Piratello Cemetery

Also in honor of the 200th anniversary of the cemetery, ANPI and CIDRA is organizing guided tours on the memorial site where are cherished testimonies from prominent citizens relevant to the local and italian history. The guided tours will take place:

• on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 14.00
• on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at 11.00

You can find the official invitation in Italian HERE.

Attendance to the inauguration and to the guided tours is free prior reservation. You can make the reservation at the email imola@anpi.it.

20 years of ASCE

For 20 years already our association has been preserving, protecting and promoting cultural heritage, resting in cemeteries. And in 2021 we will continue our journey on this wonderful path.

Some things are staying. A poem, written on tombstone. Symbol on the top of a monument. Gates to tranquillity, peace and heritage, resting at cemeteries.They remain because we work on our mission. Day by day, month by month, year by year.

Diversity and adaptation

Even in the present times, when our work is conditioned by the current situation and limitations due to the coronavirus, we continue. Each of us on their own ground, with their own tools, ideas and resources. From digital presentations of the heritage to the engagements and events on the ground, our mission was continued in the diversity of activities.

The same diversity we find at the European cemeteries, filled with religious, national, lingual, natural, artistic, architectural, historical and professional marvels. Diversity we find in the archives of our projects, AGMs, WDECs, exhibitions, guided tours, artistic events. All the amazing variations of human creativity, stories and lives we are proud about.

The symbol of our anniversary

As we wanted to find a special symbol to highlight our 20th anniversary, we discovered that any variation is just right. Any adaptation of the number, any cross or curve or color may be the chosen one. Because they all speak the same language. Language of diversity of cultural heritage, resting in European cemeteries. That’s why we chose all ideas to be accepted and used. Together or individually. Depending on the occasion and moment. Just like we are used to in the cemeteries where individual stories are part of our common story.

Future plans

During this year, we will continue the good work we have been doing passionately, enthusiastically and with dedication for the past 20 years. We will prepare and present diverse ideas, opinions, concepts and events. Enhance our cooperation on SunCemet, WDEC, European Cemeteries Route and other projects. Hopefully assembling and presenting all this diversity with a real life gathering at our Annual General Meeting.

For 20 years already our association is preserving, protecting and promoting cultural heritage, resting in cemeteries. And in 2021, we will continue our journey on this wonderful path.

Lidija Pliberšek
ASCE president

100 years of The Woodland Cemetery

Skogskyrkogården, the Woodland Cemetery, celebrates its 100th anniversary, and 25 years as a World heritage site, with a new exhibition.

This outdoor (and online) exhibition, that is located at the main entrance of the Woodland Cemetery, showcases the 100 year history since its consecration to the future and coming renovations. It also remembers thousands of cemetery workers and others who contributed to its formation and functioning.

The outdoor exhibition will be on display from September 19 to November 1, 2020. The admission is free.

You can find more information about the exhibition HERE.

*Photo by Susanne Hallmann.

Celebrating the 200th birthday of the Poblenou Cemetery

The big day of the Poblenou Cemetery is approaching. The oldest cemetery in Barcelona 200 years ago and we want to celebrate it with all of you.

To pay tribute to this very special date and to open the cemetery even more to the city, on September 29th an event is held that arrives loaded with workshops, activities and performances. Added to this are the different events that the funerary enclosure organises throughout the year (dramatised visits, conferences, guided tours...).

You will find the program of the event at this link.

Centenary of the Death of the Field Marshal Radomir Putnik Marked at the New Cemetery in Belgrade

The New Cemetery in Belgrade and Central Institute for Conservation Organized an Open Air Lecture to Mark Two Anniversaries