A bird's eye view of Beckum

Cemeteries

Cemeteries in the city area

The city of Beckum is responsible for the two municipal cemeteries Elisabethstraße Beckum and Parkfriedhof Roland. In addition, there are the Protestant cemetery in Beckum, the Protestant cemetery in Neubeckum, the Catholic cemetery in Neubeckum and the Catholic cemetery in Vellern, which are each run by the parishes.

For centuries until 1819, the deceased were buried in the cemetery around St. Stephen's Church. After that, burials took place in what is now Marienpark in the north of the city centre. In 1902, the new, larger Elisabethstraße cemetery was inaugurated in the open countryside to the south of Beckum. In 1979, the cemetery, which had been a church cemetery until then, was taken over by the town of Beckum.

The Elisabethstraße cemetery is characterised by the old lime tree population, the more than 100-year-old high cross, the restored Stations of the Cross and the war and honour graves.

In the mid-1970s, it became necessary to build a new cemetery to accommodate the population growth. Ultimately, this cemetery was to gradually replace all other cemeteries (including the Elisabethstraße cemetery).

In 1981, after three years of construction, burials began at the park cemetery in Beckum-Roland. The park cemetery was planned and built holistically as a park with lots of greenery around a central "Gräftenhof" with a mourning and mortuary hall.


A place of remembrance

View of the "Treffpunkt" funeral hall at Elisabethstraße cemetery

The cemeteries with its grave sites as the final resting place of the deceased is a place of personal remembrance, contemplation and mourning. The relatives of the deceased take over the remembrance. A grave as a permanent place of remembrance should therefore be chosen carefully. It is possible to make provisions for this already during one's lifetime.

There is a choice of classic elective or row graves for urns or coffins. In the meantime, alternative places for burial are also offered, such as in communal graves or on trees.

  • Communal burial grounds

    Maintenance-free communal grave for urn burials

    Communal graves offer an alternative to individual graves. Nowadays, many people do not have time to care for the resting place of relatives and loved ones due to professional or private commitments and find a possibility of a dignified burial without care in a beautifully laid out communal grave.

    Since 1 September 2025, it has been possible to bury urns in communal earth tube graves at Elisabethstraße cemetery. Here, burial takes place in a tube set vertically into the ground, which offers space for two urns. It is sealed with a granite slab, which can be inscribed with the names of the deceased if desired. This special resting place is intended exclusively for members of the same family.

    This grave is maintained and cared for by the cemetery administration for the duration of the utilisation period. The right of use for each urn burial plot in the communal burial ground is 30 years and can be extended or re-acquired.

    A communal burial ground has also been built at Elisabeth Cemetery. It consists of eight large natural stone blocks, some of which are offset from each other with a distance between them. Name plaques can also be placed here. After the burial, the area is planted with perennials, ground cover and flowering shrubs and maintained by the cemetery gardeners. The right of use is for 30 years and can be extended or re-acquired.

    Flyer "Communal burial grounds"

  • Urn steles / columbarium

    Urn steles

    The Elisabethstraße cemetery has an urn steles facility, also known as a columbarium, in which urns can be buried. This offers a further form of burial at Elisabethstraße cemetery. The town of Beckum decided to build this facility because the demand for care-free burial sites has risen steadily in recent years.

    The facility currently comprises 161 niches and can be extended if required. The grounds are attractively planted and beautiful benches round off the design. Each niche can be filled with a maximum of three urns, depending on the size of the urn. The grounds are maintained by the town of Beckum. Individual grave or mourning jewellery is not permitted here. Flowers or candles may only be placed in a designated area.


  • Tree burial in Roland

    Tree burials are also possible. In line with other alternative options, the park cemetery in Roland offers the burial of urns in a burial tree. Suitable and beautiful individual trees have been selected for these tree burials at various locations in the park cemetery.

    © Copyright 2014
    Urn grave by the tree

    These trees are located in wooded areas and within meadow or lawn areas. Together with the cemetery administration and the cemetery gardeners, you can choose a tree there. Up to eight urns can be buried per burial tree. Only biodegradable urns are permitted. The right of use per tree burial is 30 years and can be extended or reacquired.

    • Tree burial in wooded areas

    In the case of a tree burial in a grove, "grave maintenance" is taken over by nature itself. The cemetery administration takes care of the necessary tree care. Beds, flower bowls, flower arrangements and candles are not permitted within the grove. If desired, the cemetery administration can erect a wooden stele with the names of the deceased at the edge of the copse. Tree burials are also possible within meadow and lawn areas.

  • Burials and urns

    Elective urn graves at the Elisabethstraße cemetery

    Burial in a coffin or urn is possible at both municipal cemeteries. The period of rest for burials and urns is uniformly 30 years. For children's burials (up to the age of 5) it is 20 years.

    • Elective grave for burial and urn burial

    Both burials in the ground and urns can take place in an elective grave. Elective graves can be purchased before a burial takes place. The location and size of the grave can be freely selected in the developed grave fields - from the single to the family grave. After expiry of the period of use, an elective grave can be reacquired for 5, 10 or 30 years.

    • Row grave

    There is a row grave field in the park cemetery. Only single burials (coffin or urn) take place here. The location of the grave is determined by the cemetery administration.

    • Lawn grave

    Lawn graves have the advantage that you do not have to maintain them. The cemetery gardeners take care of that. The lawn graves are offered at the park cemetery as row or elective graves for burial in the ground or urns. The location of the lawn grave field and the design of the graves are specified by the cemetery administration. Within the lawn grave field, it is possible to select the exact location of the grave.

    • Anonymous urn row graves

    Anonymous urn row graves are gravesites in the park cemetery that are occupied in order. The location of the gravesite is known exclusively to the cemetery administration. The burial is carried out without the presence of relatives on a spacious lawn.

    Maintenance is the responsibility of the cemetery administration staff. Gardening and the erection of memorial signs is not possible.

  • Cinerary scattering field - "Burial of ashes without urn".

    At the park cemetery, it is possible to be buried in an ash scattering field. For this type of burial, a disposition of the deceased person must be deposited, the original or a certified copy of which must be presented to the cemetery administration.

  • Gravesites of different nations and religions

    Muslim graves

    The park cemetery in Roland is open to all nations and religions. A burial ground for Muslim faith communities is also offered, with burial plots facing Mecca.

Burial

In principle, the cemetery administration determines the place and time of burial in consultation with the funeral home.

Burials and cremations must take place within 10 calendar days of the occurrence of death. Urns and ashes must be buried no later than 6 weeks after cremation.

Grave maintenance

The persons entitled to use the graves are responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the graves. As a rule, these are the persons who arranged the burial. A contractual obligation is or has been entered into with the City of Beckum. The obligation only expires with the expiry of the period of rest or the right of use. The gravesite must be cleared when the rights expire.

Tomb sponsorships

Gravestone worth preserving

The Elisabethstraße cemetery contains impressive gravesites whose period of use has expired and are no longer owned by the family. Some of these gravesites are worth preserving and are adorned with an impressive tombstone. You can take over or acquire these gravesites or grave monuments within the framework of a grave monument sponsorship. Burial is also possible within the framework of the period of use.

However, you would be responsible for maintaining the stability or any necessary restoration.

A list of gravesites and gravestones worthy of preservation is available from the cemetery administration.

What distinguishes the rest period from the period of use?

The period of rest is the period during which a grave cannot be reoccupied. The period of use is the period during which rights of use exist for a gravesite. Rights of use can be extended upon application.