A simple cross and a plaque on which nothing else is written other than “the body of NN”. The funeral ceremony lasts for a few moments, but – as one of the gravediggers tells us – each of them leaves a lasting impression on the memory. – This cannot be compared with the fact that people usually say goodbye to the dead, – he points out. We went to the cemetery where, apart from the unknown bodies, lie those who had no one to bury or whose relatives did not have the money to do so.
There is no mass. – Six of us are going to the cemetery. The priest, the cross and four of us carry the coffin, – says an employee of the funeral company. Then, as he says, ten minutes of goodbye. The coffin goes to the grave with the body. The dull sound of the earth being thrown on the wooden lid is mixed with the words of a few prayers recited by the priest. Next to the wooden cross is a plaque that reads “NN male”, similar to hundreds of others at the site.
No one knows who he was. No one informs him. It was as if he was never there.
– After the funeral, we disperse silently. I've been working in this industry for over twenty years, but it's still strange to me, I'll never get used to it, he says, taking a drag on his cigarette. He has a break before the next funeral. It will be a “normal” one, north of Zakladova Street in Łódź. There is prosperity and mourning here. The bells ring as long as the deceased was alive. Not like the cemetery across the street.
There are many unmarked graves in the cemetery. tvn24.pl
End of October. There is a lot of traffic in the cafe here, as well as in the alleys between the graves. It is difficult to find a parking place on Zakladova Street. A row of cars standing on the side of the road, where – as it seems at first glance – the entrance to someone's property. The paved road passes through the growing trees and then turns sharply to the left. You can see the second cemetery just by bending around – full of identical wooden crosses and similar plaques.
The road leading to the cemetery Google Street View
Here are buried those whose identity cannot be determined, or people whose funerals for various reasons had to be organized by social services. – There are maybe three or four funerals in a week. One is similar to the other, – explains the employee of the funeral home.
Difference and no difference
Preparations for the Day of the Dead are underway in the cemetery – grass is being mowed, a group of workers is busy laying sidewalks between fresh graves. Outside of them – empty.
– It will not be crowded here even on November 1, but at least those who live here will have a better rest. At least that's how it happened, – shrugs the man, who had a woodcutter on his shoulder.
In the cemetery, almost every grave has the same wooden crosstvn24.pl
After some time, three people pass through the modest gate of the cemetery. All of them are wearing smock uniforms, all of them have torches. They visit a colleague who died ten years ago. – A good, polite guy. He was alone, he died, and social services organized a funeral – says one of them.
– Don't you regret that you fell into this cemetery? – I ask.
– Do you really think it will change anything? We will remember him, let's hold a candle. A grave is for the living to have a place to remember. And my friend has been in a better place for a long time, he doesn't care if he is in this or that cemetery, he says.
A few steps away, a man in a black shirt appears. It has a brush, a candle and a bunch of flowers. He stands in front of a small white stone that stands out among the crowd of identical crosses with identical plaques. This is the grave of a few months old baby.
– My mother died immediately, my father – my friend – was seriously ill. A sad story with a sad ending. At least everyone is together now, he says.
The commune organizes about 300 funerals every year. tvn24.pl
your will
Ten minutes later, Mr. Henrik appears in the cemetery. Three years ago, his uncle and friend Marek was buried here. He was 67 years old.
– Marek did not start a family, he had a disagreement with his brother. When he died, my brother said he didn't want to arrange a funeral and left it to social services. And we could not do anything about it, he says.
Piotr Kowalski, director of MOPS in Łódź, says that these are the procedures.
– The family of the deceased may not feel responsible for organizing the funeral. In this case, the funeral is organized like the funeral of deceased persons who had no family, that is, organized by the commune, he notes.
– So, if the family is not interested in the funeral, you are not looking for other people to take care of it?
– No, then we will take care of the funeral, – answers the director of MOPS.
Who can bury the deceased? TVN24
Bartek was also buried among many unmarked graves. He was 30 years old when he died in an accident. His father Andrzej, who is telling his story in the cemetery, has tears in his eyes. He says: “I couldn't give him much, and in the end I didn't even give him a proper funeral.”
Bartek was buried by social security because his father did not have a funeral allowance. Andrzej was not insured and neither was his deceased son.
– We, the people who have problems in life, are separated from this other rich world. We live on the edge. Although it should be fair after death, it is not. Our cemetery cannot even be seen from the street, – says Andrzej with regret. He waves his hand, looks down at the pavement, and walks down the narrow path toward the exit—a moment later he blends in with the crowd of the second necropolis.
Who is entitled to funeral allowance and who is not entitled to it? TVN24
A matter of respect
In Zakladova street cemetery you can also find several graves filled with animals and toys for small children. The plaque informs that human fetuses are buried there. Below is the name of the hospital.
– We made a contract with the funeral. In these graves are children who died before birth. Even if it is a very early stage of development, the remains are collected by the plant and then buried. We want to give every patient, even the unborn, the respect they deserve, says Adam Czerwinski, spokesperson for Mother Polka in Łódź.
“We want to give every patient, even unborn patients, the respect they deserve”tvn24.pl
The body parts that served the medical students are buried in the same way. In one of the avenues, we come across a grave, where “Human remains, separate preparation. “Medical University” is written.
– This place, the whole cemetery, is the answer to many questions. What happens to homeless people who have not had contact with anyone for years? What about those who are no longer close to them in this world? These are not easy answers, perhaps that is why this cemetery is hidden from the eyes of strangers, says a priest returning from a funeral. On the other side of the famous Zakladova street.
– Is it sad that the cemetery is hidden?
– No, not at all. I strongly believe that in the face of death, our headstone is not important. I believe that no one is anonymous after death – no matter what is written on their grave – says the priest.
Piotr Kowalski, director of MOPS in Łódź, says the municipality organizes around 300 funerals every year.
Main photo source: tvn24.p
