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.

The Pedagogical Suitcase project at Barcelona cemeteries

In 2024, Cementiris de Barcelona has expanded its educational services by introducing the Pedagogical Suitcase project, designed to bring funeral culture into schools.

Offering educational activities in schools

Cementiris de Barcelona is an active participant in the ASCE Schools on Cemeteries project and a member of Barcelona City Council's Pedagogical Innovation Council. 

Since 2013, they have been offering educational activities in schools to bring pupils closer to the funerary heritage of the cemeteries, reflecting Barcelona's historical evolution. Over the last few years, these activities have been developed and adapted to meet the needs of the school curriculum. 

In 2020, as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic, they took a step forward by creating three additional activities, allowing young people to express the concept of death from an artistic and creative perspective through the study and research of cemeteries. During this challenging time, there was a growing need to naturalise death and break existing taboos, which led many schools to turn to their pedagogical activities.

Own educational project

Barcelona is a city rich in cultural and museum offerings, and the range of educational activities provided by cultural organisations in schools is wide and varied. In response to this, Cementiris de Barcelona developed its own educational project aimed at all levels of education. This initiative enables the development of a range of basic skills to complement school education.

The cemeteries of Poblenou and Montjuïc, listed as monumental cemeteries by the Council of Europe and part of the European Cemeteries Route, offer students the opportunity to learn about the most important historical, social and cultural events in the history of Barcelona and its most illustrious figures.

These programs also encourage a critical view of societies and their organisations, promote open conversations about death, and foster respect for artistic and cultural heritage.

Collection of Hearses and El Fossar de la Pedrera

Another of the outstanding spaces in which educational activities are carried out is the Collection of Hearses, a unique heritage site in Europe. Here, visitors can explore the evolution of funeral rituals to better understand the change in mentality towards the concept of death, as well as learn about gender roles within the funeral world, particularly focusing on the role of widows.

Additionally, within Montjuïc Cemetery lies one of the main memorials to the victims of Franco's regime in Catalonia, El Fossar de la Pedrera. This site offers an opportunity to delve into one of the most impactful episodes in recent history, the Spanish Civil War, raising students' awareness of the violence that can be inflicted by the state.

The diversity of activities and the historical and heritage value of the cemeteries have also attracted schools from France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy, who have brought their pupils to explore Barcelona's cemeteries.

The Pedagogical Suitcase project

In 2024, Cementiris de Barcelona has expanded its educational services by introducing the Pedagogical Suitcase during the current academic year. This set of pedagogical tools is designed to bring funeral culture into schools and address bereavement among younger students.

The activities are structured for classroom learning and can be followed by visits to the cemetery, allowing students to experience firsthand what they have learned in class and gain a deeper understanding of their role in society.

The goal of these activities is to help students engage with a reality that affects everyone equally, while understanding that, although death is a universal event, there is a great diversity of ways to approach and experience it.

Additionally, the program familiarises students with different religious traditions, encourages them to reflect on their own lives and values, and helps them develop better emotional management by exploring the range of emotions that bereavement can evoke.

Educational activities for kids at Vienna Central Cemetery

Discover the diverse program of interesting and educational activities for children, taking place at the Vienna Central Cemetery in 2024.

150 years of Vienna Central Cemetery

In 2024, Vienna Central Cemetery celebrates its 150th anniversary. To mark this significant milestone, a year-long program of special activities has been organized, placing a strong emphasis on the official WDEC 2024 theme Environmental sustainability and climate change. 

Since the cemetery is also an active participant in the Schools on Cemeteries project, there are many activities tailored specifically for schools and children of all ages. A selection of these activities is highlighted below, while the entire program can be found at this LINK.

Open Beehive Day

What's buzzing there? The bees of the Vienna Central Cemetery are in their spring dress. The beekeepers are at least as hard-working as the bees themselves and are happy to be able to offer a colorful program.

There is a lot to learn, for example about the importance of bees for the environment and pollination of plants, about the development and lifestyle of bees and of course about beekeeping. What are bee products like beeswax, propolis and royal jelly?

We are offering craft stations for children and small snacks and drinks available.

Art Adventure Workshops

In this workshop we paint in acrylic and with fluorescent night-glow paints on canvas.

In the inspiring surroundings of Vienna's Central Cemetery, we create a cool picture that is reminiscent of the unique workshop even weeks after it was created.

Urban Gardening Workshops

Important basics on watering, mulching, hoeing, fertilizing and weeding in organic vegetable growing. Determining soil composition with simple tests: which soil should I work with? Seasonal calendar: Basics of how a gardening season works, what happens when? Use of home remedies in the garden and basic knowledge of identifying beneficial insects and pests as well as recognizing important characteristics of vegetable plants. 

With a joint open question and answer session/exchange.

The sound of birds

Not only the dreamy voices of blackbirds can be admired at the Vienna Central Cemetery, but also, depending on the weather and season, owls, swifts, marsh harriers and sometimes the rare hoopoe with its magnificent headdress.

It's best to come equipped with binoculars or a keen ear to get to know the diverse world of birds that use the central cemetery as their refuge.

Cemetery nature for kids

The natural garden of the Vienna Central Cemetery is a very special place. Its extensive, natural meadows provide a protected habitat for numerous animals. We are sure to hear it chirping, fluttering and rustling in the bushes and, with a bit of luck, see deer, field hamsters, hedgehogs, pheasants and butterflies.

This natural paradise is also perfect for getting to know lots of wild herbs, bushes and trees in a playful way and discovering with all our senses what they can be used for. Which plants are edible, which are used as medicine, as a fragrance or even for making clothes.

 A cozy herbal picnic concludes our nature exploration tour.

WDEC 2024 at the Vienna Central Cemetery

Discover some of the many activities related to environmental sustainability taking place at the Vienna's Central Cemetery in Austria.

Celebrations of nature and biodiversity, along with recognition of cemeteries' significant impact on the urban environment, are present throughout the year at the Vienna Central Cemetery. Here are some of the events centered around environmental sustainability happening at the cemetery during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2024 and beyond:

➤Photography Exhibitions
Admire photographs capturing the wildlife at cemeteries.

➤Bee-Friendly Initiatives
Learn about the role of bees and how cemeteries can support bee populations.
25.5.2024, at 10.00 am and 12.00 am

➤ Wildlife Photography Workshop
Participate in a photography workshop focused on capturing wildlife at the cemetery.
8.6.2024, at 9.00 am

➤ Biodiversity at the Cemetery
Explore the biodiversity present on cemeteries.
6.6.2024 and 14.6.2024, at 3.00 pm

➤ Urban gardening
Visit the workshop to learn more about gardening.
15.6.2024, at 4.00 pm

➤ Nature Experience for Children
Children can join a special guided tour that introduces them to nature on the cemetery grounds. It’s a great opportunity for exploration and learning!
22.6.2024, at 2.00 pm

For more information and more events visit the website of Friedhöfe Wien and celebrate with us.