After almost a year of renovation, Cologne Crematorium was reopened on 11 August 2020 by Lord Mayor of Cologne Henriette Reker, and Patrick De Meyer, President & CEO of ‘the Facultatieve Group’. In December 2018, following an extensive European tendering procedure, the City of Cologne chose ‘the Facultatieve Group’ to run the crematorium in Cologne (1937). August 2019 saw the start of extensive renovations to modernise the crematorium and bring it up to date with modern requirements. Cologne Crematorium is the third crematorium within ‘the Facultatieve Group’ in Germany.
“We are proud, thrilled, and very grateful that the City of Cologne is showing such confidence in us,” Patrick De Meyer says. “Cologne is Germany’s fourth largest city and enjoys a rich history. This now includes a crematorium that meets the latest requirements, so the residents of Cologne and its surroundings have the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones in their own city in their own particular way.”
Modernisation and expansion of services
“The wishes of families around funerals change over time,” says Patrick De Meyer. “Our highest priorities are always quality of service, very close cooperation and respect for the deceased and the bereaved. As part of the renovation of Cologne Crematorium, the service has been expanded to include an attractive auditorium that offers opportunities to personalise the ceremony. In addition, the crematorium now has an intimate family room where the next of kin can come together in peace and quiet before saying goodbye.”
Technology and the environment
“In addition to piety, dignity and respect, the environment and the lowest possible energy consumption are also very important to us. We have therefore replaced one of the old cremators at the crematorium in Cologne with two state-of-the-art systems by Facultatieve Technologies. Thanks to their filter technology, low energy consumption and technology for reducing emissions, these fully computer-controlled cremators meet the most stringent environmental requirements.”