gravplass

Gravplass is the Norwegian term for a burial ground where the dead are interred. It can refer to a cemetery or graveyard, and the word is used for both church-affiliated and secular sites. Gravplasser are designed to provide spaces for burials, memorials, and the remembrance of deceased people.

Cemeteries may be church-owned or municipally managed and can include various features such as family plots, individual graves with headstones or memorial markers, columbaria for cremated remains, mausoleums, chapels, and landscaped grounds. They are typically open to visitors during daytime and are arranged to accommodate both burial ceremonies and ongoing maintenance of the grounds.

Administration and usage vary by country and locality, but common practices include obtaining a permit or lease for a grave, choosing a burial option (burial of a coffin or cremated remains), and ongoing upkeep by the managing authority, which may be a municipality or a church organization. Grave leases or rights are often time-limited, with options for renewal; responsibilities for exhumation, relocation, or reburial are governed by local regulations.

Historically, gravplasser originated around churches as churchyards. In many regions, urban growth led to the establishment of municipal cemeteries to address space and planning needs. Cemeteries also function as cultural records, reflecting local customs, religious beliefs, and memorial practices through monuments and inscriptions.

Modern gravplasser may include environmentally friendly options such as green burials, as well as traditional burials, cremations, and memorial facilities. They serve both practical and ceremonial roles, providing a place for funerary rites, memory, and reflection.