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Comforting memorial evening at Westerveld Memorial Park

All images © 2016 - Robert Aarts Photography - All rights reservedOn 2 November, Westerveld organised a very special memorial evening at the memorial park. Music was played at various locations throughout the park and visitors were given the opportunity to plant commemorative flower bulbs. Children put stickers on candles and poems were displayed along the illuminated walking route. There was also a flower wall and all the visitors – more than 4,500 – were given the opportunity to light up a candle and place it on the ‘candle stairs’. The Dutch KRO-NCRV KRO-NCRV broadcasting combination made TV recordings of the event at Westerveld, which can be viewed here:

http://www.npo.nl/voor-wie-steek-jij-een-kaarsje-op/02-11-2016/KN_1685582

Commemorate together

“Reminiscing together offers solace and it reminds you of the fact that you are not alone in this”, says Carla Bosua, Director of Westerveld. “United,but still intimate. That’s why this year too, we organised a memorial evening, to give everyone the opportunity to light a candle in memory of a loved one.”

Light a candle for your loved ones

During the Dutch TV programme ‘Voor wie steek jij een kaarsje aan?’ – presented by Anita Witzier – the focus was on commemoration.  People told stories about their deceased loved ones. Famous Dutch artists such as Maan and Niels Geusebroek performed comforting songs in the crematorium’s enclosed garden.

2018-05-17T12:40:45+00:0011 November, 2016|

‘What a magnificent walk’

On Sunday 9 October, Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium organised an autumn walk in which more than a hundred people took part. A horse tram took visitors to and from the Leven & Sterven (Live & Die) trade fair, which also took place that Sunday.

Expert tour guides led walkers past special monuments, against the setting of natural beauty in this wonderful season. The visitors visited part of the monumental building, also taking in the cremation room, which is otherwise not accessible. “I’d never expected a memorial park to be so beautiful”, one visitor said later. “We’ve seen all kinds of special monuments, hidden amongst autumn’s beauty … and the weather was gorgeous. What an experience.”

Taking the horse tram to the trade fair
On the same day, a funeral fair – Leven & Sterven – was held next to Westerveld at the Duin & Kruidberg country estate.  Westerveld was also represented at Leven & Sterven and visitors were taken to and from the trade fair by horse tram.

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2018-05-17T12:40:46+00:0013 October, 2016|

Visit Westerveld and Dieren Crematorium during Open Monuments Day

open mon dag (Kopie)On Sunday 11 September 2016, Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium will take part in the national Open Monuments Day. Dieren Crematorium will also be open on Saturday 10 September. You can enjoy a (monumental) walk in both memorial parks. Everybody is very welcome.

Monumental memorial park Westerveld
On 11 September, you can take a walk around the Westerveld monumental memorial park. This route is part of the North Holland Network of Walks. The route map is available at Petit Café Westerveld, which is open from 11.00 to 16.00 during the Open Monuments Day. The memorial park itself is open from 09.00 to 17.00. You would be most welcome to come to the Petit Café Westerveld for more information and a cup of coffee or tea with a tasty treat or for our special walking package. During the Open Monuments Day, you can also buy the book ‘Westerveld, een monumentale ontdekkingstocht’ for just € 12.50. If you buy something in the Petit Café, you will even be eligible to buy the book for the special price of € 9.50.

Nature and monuments at Dieren Crematorium
On Saturday and Sunday 10 and 11 September 2016, you can take a walk through the beautiful memorial park from 10.00 to 17.00. Dieren Crematorium was the second crematorium in the Netherlands (1954), making it a symbol for the history and development of cremation. With its unique location in a wooded setting, Dieren Crematorium really is an integral part of the locality. Aside from being a crematorium and wonderful piece of cultural heritage, the memorial park is also a fabulous place for walks, with peace and quiet and lots of nature and adorned as it is with so many monuments. Columbarium Erica is a monument in and of itself. The columbarium was awarded monumental status due to its exceptional architecture and the unusual design, which plays with symmetry and the way light falls.

Icons & symbols
The national theme of the Open Monuments Day is Icons & symbols – images or signs that have something special to tell us. Monuments can have an iconic value, as they are symbolic for our culture and closely related to our identity. The designs often use different symbols: a sign of the times, the religion or beliefs of the deceased.

2018-05-17T12:40:46+00:006 September, 2016|

Impressive Westerveld Fair

On Sunday 5 June, Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium organised its first ‘Westerveld Fair’. Hundreds of people visited the delightful outdoor fair during this sunny Sunday afternoon. The reactions of visitors and exhibitors alike were extremely positive, with nature and art joining together in harmony.

 Welcoming memorial park
A wide range of exhibitors were present during the fair displaying a variety of products and services covering art, crafts and nature. “The surroundings are so lovely here”, said one of the visitors.  “It’s great to experience the park this time in such a different way. The atmosphere was also really pleasant, with wonderful products, music and theatre. And my daughters were totally preoccupied decorating birdhouses – what fun!

Theatre and falconer
There was also an outdoor auditorium on the field where visitors could listen to music and watch short theatrical performances. The chairs were constantly occupied, as Multatuli, Aletta Jacobs, Anthony Fokker and Berlage regaled us convincingly with their history and – naturally – their link to the Westerveld Memorial Park. Visitors listened enthralled to their stories, which were interchanged with musical performances by Marsmelody and Cigale. Falconer Mart Schrieken also provided demonstrations with birds of prey and owls. He told us all about the birds and the training they are given.  Enthusiastic volunteers from the audience were allowed to help during the demonstrations.

“The Fair was exactly what we had hoped it would be”, said Carla Bosua, Director of Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium. “We wanted to introduce people to the memorial park in a totally different light, and that seems to have been very successful. The great products from exhibitors, the performances, the catering and of course the fabulous weather ensured a really warm and friendly atmosphere.

2018-05-17T12:40:50+00:0010 June, 2016|

Valuable first Open Evening at De Boskamp

open avond BKOn 24 March, De Boskamp Funeral Centre & Crematorium organised its first Open Evening. Many visitors came for the extensive guided tour. Reactions were extremely positive.

The need is there
Alex de Fretes, general assistant at De Boskamp Funeral Centre & Crematorium, looked after one group of visitors: “People approached me very directly this evening. They had personal wishes they wanted to discuss, or questions that had been bothering them for some time. I truly noticed a need for evenings like this, a time to discuss matters in an open conversation, in peace. Both visitors and ourselves went home feeling satisfied.”

Very diverse
“It was a very diverse crowd”, says Sietse de Vries, site manager. “There was one gentleman who asked a number of critical questions about our facilities. During our conversation it transpired his wife is ill and that he was obtaining information. He thanked me for the sense of peace I was able to give him during his quest. Other visitors were here just because they were curious about De Boskamp and one of them was a trainee funeral director who wanted to know how we work.”

Sietse de Vries is very satisfied with how the evening went: “We didn’t know what to expect, but it has been tremendously valuable. The set-up of the event in particular, small and informal, created a very pleasant experience. People immediately felt at ease and were not afraid to ask questions. It was very useful for us too. It enabled us to get personal accounts from people, and to learn about their wishes and uncertainties. This is certainly not the last Open Evening we’ll be organising!”

2018-05-17T12:40:51+00:0025 April, 2016|

Moscowa Evening of Light; atmospheric and intimate

kaars Lichtjesavond

On Friday 11 December, the annual Evening of Light was staged at Moscowa Crematorium. Nearly 4000 people braved the rain and visited the illuminated memorial park. Relatives had the opportunity to light a candle or hang a personal written memory in the memorial tree. There was also a ‘poetry path’.  A warm ambience was provided by the Binnenstadskoor (a choir from Arnhem), and bagpipe players.

Lanterns in the memorial park
Poems were read out loud in the Lindenzaal auditorium. Harpist Nanja Bakker also provided a beautiful musical background. The evening attracted many visitors, despite the bad weather. “It’s so wonderful to see how much effort people have made to come”, says André Kruijmer, location manager at Moscowa. “And the reactions are so lovely, all the visitors are thankful that we’ve organised this evening.”  All the children were given a lantern on arrival. “There were so many children that the memorial park was soon coloured by the lanterns, which made it all look so intimate.”

2018-05-17T12:40:52+00:0017 December, 2015|

Nieuw bericht

Niederrhein-condolMet werkmaatschappijen over de hele wereld is ‘de Facultatieve Groep’ actief op tal van gebieden. Van internationaal rouwtransport, automatisering en uitgeven tot het leveren van benodigdheden voor de uitvaartbranche, ziekenhuizen en overheidsinstanties. Wereldmarktleider zijn we met onze state of the art oplossingen op het gebied van verbrandings- en milieutechniek. Al meer dan honderd jaar exploiteert de Groep crematoria en begraafplaatsen. Eenheid in Verscheidenheid!

2018-05-17T12:41:03+00:0017 January, 2015|
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