Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe: cemetery tourism

Showing posts with label cemetery tourism. Show all posts

Call for book chapters

Julie Rugg (University of York) and David Ocón (Singapore Management University) invite you to contribute your insights and expertise on cemeteries as heritage sites, the impacts of cemetery tourism, and sustainable practices in cemetery management.

About the book

Julie Rugg (University of York) and David Ocón (Singapore Management University) are co-editing a text for Boydell and Brewer’s "Heritage Matters" series and are issuing a call for chapter proposals.

The themes can include:

the cemetery as a locale for tangible and intangible funeral heritage;
the principles of cemetery interpretation;
the emotional, social and economic impact of cemetery tourism;
contested sites, where the site’s purpose desire for preservation is compromised by the site’s purpose; and
the interaction between funeral heritage and sustainable development.

A fuller rationale for the text sits below.

Funerary Heritage

Funerary heritage comprises tangible and intangible evidence of ways in which past societies have come to an accommodation with mortality. This text focuses on the considerable funeral heritage associated with cemeteries and other places of interment.

Over the past thirty years, interest in such sites as heritage assets has expanded substantially, provoking similar substantial growth in cemetery tourism. Cemeteries draw local, national and even international audiences, creating demand for interpretative elements: tours, signage, apps and websites. However, literature making a case for the heritagization of cemeteries pays very little attention to the inherent contradictions and tensions that lie within that process. This text seeks to reframe cemetery heritage as a critical field of study, addressing its multifaceted dimensions, including the intersection of preservation, interpretation, and sustainable development.

This text will draw together chapters from an international array of scholars, defining critical issues for cemetery heritage, and, in doing so, reframe this area of academic study as a more vibrant arena for critical analysis.

The book will explore five substantive and interconnected themes mentioned above.

Chapter proposals

Please submit a 250-word abstract by November 30th, 2024.

The deadline for completed chapters is September 2025. The chapters will have an 8.000-word limit and will be blind peer reviewed. The text will include academic contributions from across the globe, and all submissions must be in English.

Send abstracts to: julie.rugg@york.ac.uk or davidocon@smu.edu.sg.

You can find the original call for chapters HERE.

Webinar "Jewish cemeteries as visitor destinations across Europe"

Join this interesting free webinar on 24 May 2023.

About the webinar

The Foundation for Jewish Heritage invites you to attend a free webinar that explores "How and to what extent Jewish cemeteries can and are currently being used as visitor destinations across Europe."

The day will begin with an introduction to the project by the Foundation for Jewish Heritage Chair Dame Helen Hyde, and followed by a keynote lecture by Dr Paul Darby.

The rest of the day will include a rich and varied programme of speakers from across Europe, who will present case studies of key findings from Dr Darby’s report.

You can find the detailed program in the attached photo.

How to participate?

The webinar will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, 24 May 2023, starting at 9.30am CET and concluding at 5pm CET.

Participation is free.

You can book your spot at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jewish-cemeteries-as-visitor-destinations-tickets-607408022747.

*Photo: Jewish part of the Kozala Cemetery in Rijeka, Croatia.

20 years of tourism

All in vain is the amazingly preserved cultural heritage of the cemetery, if its sparkling stories of love, wars and discoveries are not joyfully talked about, touched and remembered.

In 20 years, our association highlighted the importance of the jewels that quietly absorb all of its surrounding history in small inscriptions and gigantic artistic expressions of eternal devotion. Passionate ASCE members developed an endless stream of projects and activities, guided tours, books and concerts, lectures and congresses which generated new attractivity of the cemeteries.

Sure, cemetery tourism was here a long time before. People visited cemeteries for the purpose of enjoying the culture and history of its region. Yet all such visits were often more of a rumour rather than fact. An awkward habit that cemeteries tourists kept as a hidden treasure for themselves. Knowing that talking about it would raise many eyebrows.

Tourism of change

Anyone that ever walked a cemetery just because they decided to do so, was changed by the experience itself. Quiet place in the centre of a vibrant city cleared their minds, washed their souls of all the unimportant, earthly and non-divine thoughts.

Within the diversity of all the stories discovered, cemetery tourists are introduced to his own uniqueness, her own belonging. Introduced by the memories of others they rethink the decisions made, actions taken.

Every tourist visit to the cemetery means accepting and appreciating life once again, much more than before.

Changing tourism

Past 20 years on the other hand were marked by the transformation of global tourism. The industry was pushed by an incredible share of information over internet channels, leading to major touristic points being swallowed by the masses. Reducing the experience to unthinkable nothing. Industrial, cheap, nothing.

Experts are desperately seeking solutions to the overcrowded cities and historical treasures. There awaits the unthinkable, obvious chance. Cemeteries are not meant to replace the major attractions, neither be overflowing with tourists. Yet they carry the most important essence of meaningful tourism: stories.

Guided tours over monumental cemeteries or small gardens of souls in villages across Europe are always filled out with most unusual and controversial stories that are hidden during any rushing visit to the city. Chapters of history and culture that are so rich that they are an opportunity for building completely new, slow down tourism products. Thus creating that essential switch that tourism experts are looking for.

Diverging tourism, diverging life

This is why we have to keep going. Organizing more events, getting cemeteries to every tourism map, every city flyer and destination website. Because cemeteries gained so much from this community. And they can give back so much more.

With sparkling stories of love, wars and discoveries joyfully talked about, touched and remembered, cemeteries are diverging tourism, diverging life.

ASCE members, fans and colleagues, keep this going for the next 20 years.

Dušan Vrban
European Cemeteries Route manager

Cemetery Tourism Study

City Cemetery Škaljari (Kotor, Montenegro)

The publication “Cemetery Tourism Study” aims to discover the model for future valorization of the Jewish part of the City Cemetery Škaljari, through the prism of cultural practice and tourism.

About the publication

The publication “Cemetery Tourism Study” was created for the needs of the pilot project of the Municipality of Kotor entitled “Rediscover, expose and exploit the conceived Jewish heritage of the Danube region” whose purpose was to rediscover the forgotten Jewish cultural heritage in the Danube region. Numerous cultural institutions from Montenegro and abroad participated in the preparation of the publication.

The study presents the historical development of the Kotor municipal cemetery, with special reference to the chronology of its development, the architecture of its chapels and churches as well as its monumental sculpture. A special section of this study was dedicated to the architectural, stylistic and chronological research of the Jewish cemetery, which is located within the City Cemetery Škaljari, and is the only one of its kind in Montenegro. The aim of the study was to discover the model for its valorization in future, through the prism of cultural practice and tourism.

The full publication is available at this link.

European Cemeteries Tour 2020: SignUp

Only 20 seats left and 2 months for signup.

Cemeteries are increasingly opening up as new spaces for tourist visits and cultural manifestations. In this context it is very important to emphasise them as part of cultural tourism. In order to promote it, European Cemeteries Route began with the project European Cemeteries Tour in 2018.

KD Kozala Rijeka, together with its partners from Zagreb and Zadar, is the first organiser of the project European Cemeteries Tour 2020, during which stories from Croatia will be presented.

Only 20 seats left

Interest for the tour is amazing, as the tour program is promising really splendid cultural adventure. Beyond cemeteries, tour will include many cultural events, including European Capital of Culture 2020 in Rijeka.

SignUp now

SignUp is available at this link in the European Cemeteries Tour website with 2 packages available. Make sure to sign up on time as the tour has limited number of seats available (only 20 left at the moment).

ASCE at International Tourism Fare in Berlin

Presented at the stand of Kulturrouten des Europarats in Deutschland.

A celebration in honour of Saint Tryfon, the patron saint of the Kifissia Municipal Cemetery, was successfully held on February 1st.Following a Church Service, which welcomed a big crowd, a photographic exhibition of Greece’s historic graveyards was organised in the cemetery’s courtyard.

During the Week of discovering European Cemeteries the Sant Antoni Abat City Cemetery (Cemetery of Alcoi) will organise two free visits for all visitors.