Starting in October 2025, Rhineland-Palatinate will become the first German state to permit burials outside traditional cemeteries, allowing ashes to be scattered in rivers and even private gardens.
The state parliament passed the reform on Thursday, with support from the ruling SPD-led coalition.
Under the new rules, ashes can be dispersed in the Rhine, Mosel, Lahn, and Saar, in addition to smaller rivers within the state.
Until now, water burials were restricted to the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
The reform effectively revives a centuries-old custom in which cremated remains were released into Germany’s great rivers.
How it works
The body must be cremated in a licensed crematorium before ashes can be released.
Families may hold ceremonies on boats or at riverbanks, and several funeral homes in the region have already announced plans to acquire boats to offer river funeral services.
The law also permits scattering ashes on private property, including gardens, marking a significant break with Germany’s long-standing burial traditions.
Concerns from crematoria and critics
Not everyone welcomes the reform. The Landau crematorium warned that prosthetic joints or dental gold might end up in rivers because such materials are not fully destroyed during cremation.
The legislation also abolishes the state’s mandatory coffin rule, paving the way for burials in shrouds—though only within cemeteries. This move was welcomed by religious communities, including Muslims, for whom shroud burials are a tradition.
Political debate in the Landtag
The measure sparked heated exchanges in parliament. The governing coalition argued the changes reflect modern needs, cultural diversity, and freedom of choice in burial practices.
The opposition CDU opposed river burials in particular, calling instead for modest adjustments to the existing framework.
CDU party and parliamentary leader Gordon Schnieder defended the old system as “tried and tested for decades.”
CDU legislator Christoph Gensch went further, accusing the government of undermining cemeteries: “Minister, you are the gravedigger of our cemeteries,” he said, warning that poorer citizens might lose memorial places for their deceased.
A cultural shift in Germany’s burial traditions
With Rhineland-Palatinate taking the lead, the reform could influence broader discussions across Germany. For centuries, burials have been tied to cemeteries as communal places of memory.
Allowing ashes in rivers or private gardens reflects a major cultural shift—towards more personal, decentralized ways of handling death and remembrance.
