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Renate Ahammer stands by the bereaved relatives at any time of the day or night

2020-10-31T15:11:44.278Z


Death has many names: In the fairy tale it is the godfather, in the film it is called Schlafes Bruder or Joe Black, in Bavarian it is called Boandlkramer with little respect. Whatever form he appears in, Renate Ahammer knows everyone: As the owner of a funeral home in Weilheim, she stands by the bereaved bereaved at any time of the day or night.


Death has many names: In the fairy tale it is the godfather, in the film it is called Schlafes Bruder or Joe Black, in Bavarian it is called Boandlkramer with little respect.

Whatever form he appears in, Renate Ahammer knows everyone: As the owner of a funeral home in Weilheim, she stands by the bereaved bereaved at any time of the day or night.

  • After the early death of her father, Renate Ahammer wanted to help other people in such an exceptional situation.

  • Today she runs a funeral home in Weilheim.

  • She says death “is part of our life” and is open to different ways of saying goodbye.

Weilheim

- Ahammer's office opposite the Apostle Church is the contact point for everyone who has lost a loved one and now has to take care of a thousand things: the funeral and estate settlement, bills and insurance, documents, terminations and much more.

“Most people are overwhelmed with all of this when they are mourning a loved one,” says the undertaker.

Born in Düsseldorf, she first studied law in Regensburg.

After the early death of her father, however, she decided to stand by other people in such an exceptional situation.

For example, she worked for a funeral company for years before setting up her own business in Weilheim eight years ago.

"It's still a real dream job for me," she says, "because life and death belong together and should be designed as beautifully as possible."

Also read: All Saints' Day in the Weilheim-Schongau district

In the office on Münchener Strasse, numerous urns in different configurations and price ranges are lined up on a wall shelf.

Several doors lead off a corridor, into a warehouse with piled candles and crosses, into a room with technology for the production of death pictures and printed matter, and in another room there are coffins made of different types of wood for children and adults.

The end of life has nothing terrible for Renate Ahammer and her colleague Markus Niedermeier

But the atmosphere is not oppressive when the undertaker talks about her daily business in a sober tone.

Depending on age and situation, death can be a hated enemy or the welcome redeemer from illness and infirmity.

A heroic or desperate act, fate, perfection - hardly any other motif has been so often varied, emotionally charged and stylized in literary terms as death.

In her novel “All people are mortal” Simone de Beauvoir makes it clear that eternal life is by no means worth striving for.

For Renate Ahammer and her colleague Markus Niedermeier, who once wanted to study theology, the end of life has nothing terrible - not only because it is everyday life for them, but also because they consider themselves to be believers.

Behind the horizon, as a film with Robin Williams is called, according to the Christian view it should finally continue.

Instead of the traditional funeral service, as is customary in our culture, Ahammer can also imagine a celebration of life in a beautiful atmosphere, perhaps even with colorful balloons and music.

“That depends entirely on what the relatives want.” The cemetery statute of the city of Weilheim regulates every tiny detail down to the last centimeter in 48 paragraphs on 20 pages, but you can say goodbye individually.

"Once the song 'Highway to Hell' by AC / DC was played at the grave," recalls Niedermeier with a smile, "the pastor didn't like it that much."

Many people either cannot or will not take care of regular grave maintenance

The very terms “buried” and “buried” show where most people find their final resting place.

"But there are also burials by fire, in the air and at sea," says Ahammer, "in Switzerland even burials in alpine meadows or mountain streams are possible." In Bavaria there are clear regulations: The ashes are scattered in the garden, is prohibited.

An earth burial can take place after 48 hours at the earliest, the deceased must be buried after 96 hours at the latest, although there may be exceptions that require approval.

Also interesting: Weilheim: “Schuhhaus Jaser” closes after 39 years

Ahammer: "In Weilheim - as elsewhere - there is a clear trend from conventional burial to cremation." Because many people cannot or do not want to take care of regular grave maintenance, also because generations are no longer the same as they used to be Place to live.

The body donation to an (anatomical) institute is a possibility of burial, to let the mortal remains become a valuable help for the general public: The body of the deceased is used for teaching or research purposes and is later cremated.

From the ashes you can even create a diamond in an elaborate process and carry it with you.

Or a few grams of the ashes are removed from the urn and transported into space by rocket in a “collection urn” from a space base in the USA or Russia.

In view of the wide range of options and regulations, most relatives are happy when professional undertakers offer them an all-round service: from A for removal of the deceased to Z for newspaper advertisement.

"We take care of formalities, appointments, decoration and many other details," says Niedermeier, "we arrange free religious funeral orators and transfer them to all desired cemeteries at home and abroad."

Renate Ahammer even goes to cemeteries on vacation

At least in Baierisch, the end of life is nothing to be afraid of.

In the story of the Tegernsee hunting assistant Brandner Kaspar, a literary figure from a dialect story by Franz von Kobell, the Boandlkramer is tricked into playing cards and has to give Kaspar additional years of life.

This piece has been adapted and filmed several times for the theater;

Michael Bully Herbig wants to bring a sequel to German cinemas on December 17th: “The Boandlkramer and Eternal Love” is the name of the last directorial work by Joseph Vilsmaier, who died in February.

Ahammer knows that death cannot be outwitted.

“But it is part of our life and makes it valuable, precisely because it is finite.” She always becomes aware of this when she strolls through strange cemeteries: “I do that every time on vacation, like other people in museums or visit castles. "

Peter Stöbich

Also read: Weilheim-Schongau district: eleven million more debts

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-10-31

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