Following the opening of the so-called HOV line (high-quality public transport) on 2 April 2017, Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium (Duin en Kruidbergerweg 2–6 in Driehuis) has its ‘own’ stop again: Driehuis-Westerveld. This means Westerveld will once more be accessible by public transport again via the new line between stations Haarlem and IJmuiden. “We’re bringing the past to life too”, says Westerveld director Carla Bosua, who is looking back on a long history. “Westerveld had its own train station for special mourning trains between Amsterdam and the cemetery as early as 1889. The fact that we’ve got a Driehuis-Westerveld stop again after all these years is very, very special.”

Maximum accessibility
Existing bus no. 75 will be travelling the new line from today. After the summer, R-net will start deploying no. 385, which will be replacing no. 75. “Westerveld already was accessible, but thanks to this HOV line, visitors are literally dropped off at the door. That means maximum accessibility by public transport”, says Carla Bosua.

The makers of the successful crime series ‘Penoza’ have opted for Westerveld as the venue for recording a number of scenes in the fifth (and final) season, as they did in the previous series. Recordings were made with the dome in the background and inside the monumental auditorium, which was designed by Dudok in 1936. The series is expected to be aired from September 2017 onward.

Penoza is about the Dutch underworld, where choices with regard to family, loyalty and money are made at daggers drawn. Penoza is portrayed as a family drama headed by Carmen (Monic Hendrickx) – a working mum with an exceptional profession. In addition to various nominations for the scenario and a Sound and Vision Award for star Monic Hendrickx, the series is also aired in an American, Polish and Russian version.

On 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.

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.

Memmingen Crematorium donated in July 2016 an amunt of 27,000 euros to various projects in Memmingen involved in youthwork, safety and training. Under the watchful eye of Mayor Ivo Holzinger, Stefan van Dorsser, CEO of Memmingen Crematorium, handed over a total of 27,000 euro.

Memmingen volunteer fire brigade received a portion of this to buy a number of items which it needed. Also the Förderverein Reichshainschule special-needs school was given a cheque for various things (table football, jungle gym, basketball hoop), and the Zollergraben kindergarten received a cheque to purchase outdoor games equipment. Cheques were also given to other associations in Memmingen and the locality, including the Animal Protection Association, the local Traffic Controllers and the Bismarck school, BBZ vocational training centre and Johann-Bierwirth school.

Memmingen Crematorium
“Since the opening in 2006, Memmingen crematorium has played an important role in the lives of many people in Memmingen and environs”, said Henry Keizer, CEO of ‘the Facultatieve Group’. “Based on this role and our sense of social responsibility, it therefore gives us great pleasure to contribute to these worthy projects that benefit all residents of Memmingen.” The Memmingen Crematorium – part of ‘the Facultatieve Group’ – opened its doors in October 2006 on the Waldfriedhofstraße 4a. With many years of experience and its vast pool of expertise, ‘the Facultatieve Group’ guarantees that funeral ceremonies at Memmingen crematorium are handled with the respect they deserve. Key to this is an optimum service with scope of personal input to fulfil the wishes of the deceased and those they leave behind.

(Foto: Wehr/Pressestelle Stadt Memmingen)

With donations totalling around € 300,000, the Royal Dutch ‘Facultatieve’ Stimulus Fund supports a variety of different charities, projects and initiatives:

• The Dutch Service Dog Foundation (hulphond.nl) is now able to train ten extra therapy service dogs that will be used to help 160 children in 2016 and 2017.
• The Dutch Victim Support Fund (fondsslachtofferhulp.nl) is receiving a donation for the ‘Life after the MH17 air disaster’ project.
• The ‘Oranjehotel’ Foundation (oranjehotel.org) is receiving a contribution to set up a memorial centre at the ‘Oranjehotel’ war memorial.
• Thanks to the support of the Royal Dutch ‘Facultatieve’ Stimulus Fund, ‘Gasthuis’ Hospice in Groningen (gasthuisgroningen.nl) can now purchase a ‘stand-up-chair’ to improve its guests comfort levels.

For further information: www.aanmoedigingsfonds.org