Grave care

The purchaser of a gravesite is not always in a position to take care of the grave bed and permanent grave maintenance themselves. If, for this reason, a grave is not purchased without marking or with maintenance by the City of Wolfsburg, it is possible to commission cemetery gardeners.

The scope of services can range from the one-off creation of a grave bed to permanent grave maintenance. The cost depends on the amount of care agreed.

For the conclusion of long-term care contracts, a permanent grave care contract involving the "Treuhandstelle für Dauergrabpflege Niedersachsen/Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH" in Hanover can be helpful.

This offers advice on cost and contractual issues and monitors the contractual performance of the agreed services in the long term. If a contractor no longer performs the contractual work, the trust agency will place the work in other hands.

The planting and maintenance of the gravesites is the responsibility of the purchaser of the gravesite. They may carry out this work themselves or have it carried out by a cemetery gardener authorized to work in the cemetery.

Only in the case of gravesites marked by a uniform monument, gravesites without marking, lawn row gravesites with a name stone and urn ballot gravesites under trees is the maintenance of the gravesite carried out by the City of Wolfsburg.

The general rule applies to all grave plantings:

• The gravesites may only be planted in such a way that other gravesites and the public facilities and paths are not impaired.
• The planting may not extend beyond the grave bed.
• In particular, the use of machinery by the cemetery administration must not be hindered.
• Trees and shrubs may only be planted at a height that is proportionate to the size of the grave.

Please consider the light and soil conditions before planting or seek professional advice.

• Is the grave bed in full sun, partial shade or under a tree? Is the soil very dry in the long term and is there a tap nearby? Is low-maintenance ground cover planting with perennials or low-growing shrubs desirable?
• Is seasonal planting, usually costly and high-maintenance, preferred? This also includes planters with their high water requirements.
• Should the grave bed be planted at all or should it be covered with stone?

This solution also involves care and maintenance requirements. Particularly in the case of further burials/interments, considerable costs may be incurred for clearing. Please also bear in mind that over the course of the years, the cost of levelling the cemetery slabs can be considerable due to subsidence/coffin collapse.

The answers to these questions will determine which plants are selected and whether the gravesite can be maintained in the long term with minimal care. With the advice of a cemetery nursery, a solution will always be found for a dignified grave design.

When purchasing a gravesite, you should already bear in mind that the erection of a gravestone is not permitted on every gravesite:

The purchaser of the gravesite is obligated to maintain the grave marker and structural facilities permanently in a roadworthy condition. This obligation is only waived if the purchaser has acquired a gravesite for which the City of Wolfsburg guarantees the maintenance of the gravesite - for a fee or a charge.

The erection and any alteration of gravestones and other structural facilities must be applied for in advance in writing to the cemetery administration by the purchaser of the gravesite. The gravestone manufacturers keep the corresponding applications on hand and will be happy to assist you here.

There is no obligation to erect a grave marker for all elective gravesites I and II, for all urn elective gravesites I and II, or for the classic row gravesites and urn row gravesites. However, for all lawn row graves with name stone and all lawn urn row graves with name stone, there is an obligation to erect a gravestone.

• There is no possibility to erect a grave marker on gravesites without a marker. However, an inscription plate can be attached to a central memorial stone.
• Gravesites marked by a uniform memorial will be provided with a memorial by the City of Wolfsburg, to which an inscription plate is to be attached.
• On urn choice graves under trees - if the area surrounding the tree allows it - a cushion stone with an inscription plate can be applied.
• The order of the inscription plates and pillow stones is made by the cemetery administration.
• For the production and placement of the name stone for lawn row graves with name stone, please contact a stonemason.