At home, in kindergarten or among friends, the topic of death and dying is current right now? Whether it is that a beloved pet dies, a valuable person leaves the child's environment or it comes into contact with dying through the media: When the time comes, it is important that educators are prepared for questions and fears.

For this reason, we invite educators with their kindergarten groups and daycare centres to visit us in the museum. This is where a joint tour of the museum takes place, because the numerous exciting and unusual objects and stories are the best way to initiate an unbiased, curious approach to death. How people thought about death in the past and today and how dying in old age is dealt with is helpful in stimulating questions and counteracting the great fear of the unknown.

Afterwards, the children can do handicrafts on the subject of death and the educators can exchange ideas with the museum staff* about dealing with children and death and find out about other possibilities.

In addition, we also offer a further training course on the question "How do I explain a cemetery to children?", in which all persons who would like to conduct a cemetery tour with children can take part.

If you want to celebrate an unusual birthday, the Museum for Sepulchral Culture offers you the possibility to choose between a pirate birthday and a ghost birthday. The birthday table is set with crockery by the museum. Drinks and food are brought by the parents of the birthday child. On school days, birthdays can also be celebrated beyond the official opening hours. For birthday parties that begin after 17:00, a surcharge of 30€ is levied. Parents are of course welcome to join in the celebrations, but they can also let the children celebrate among themselves. Two museum staff members will be with the group for the entire period.

Pirate's birthday

The Pirate's Birthday is for children from 6 years of age. After the welcome round, pirate hats and eye patches are made, with which the group then sets off on a discovery tour of the museum. They will learn curiosities and interesting facts about the history of buccaneering and the bones and skulls that can be found everywhere on coffins and gravestones. Because there are certainly not pirates buried everywhere where skulls and bones cross. When thinking of buccaneering, most children naturally also think of legendary treasures - which is why the joint treasure hunt with map and spirit of discovery is certainly one of the highlights of the birthday party. If there is still enough energy left, there is also enough time for pirate games and, if desired, a joint dinner can round off the celebration.

Ghost Birthday

The ghost birthday is for children from 6 years of age. After the welcome there is a treasure hunt and lots of games, of course on the subject of ghosts. Because all over the world people believe that the soul goes to the afterlife after death. Some call this other world "heaven", some "underworld" or "shadow kingdom" and still others "the eternal hunting grounds". Those who do not make it there – so some fear – come back as spirits. During the tour of the museum, the story of how this idea came about is told and the children learn in a game how to recognise "ghosts" and "ghosts" and, if necessary, how to render them harmless. They also make their own ghosts for home. If desired, a joint dinner can round off the celebration.

The artists' necropolis is located on the outskirts of Kassel, in the Habichtswald, surrounded by hills, gorges and valleys. In the early 1980s, the artist Harry Kramer had the idea of enabling selected artists to lay their own grave there during their lifetime. Some of them already house the urns of their creators and some of them expect to surrender themselves and nature upon their arrival.

Children find a special situation in the artists' necropolis. The introduction to the themes of "death" and "remembrance" is loosened up and the children have the chance to move their lessons outside. Furthermore, the grave signs are not easy to find. But if you are interested in art and nature and have fun with tricky word games and brainteasers, you should definitely go on a little hike to the artists' necropolis. The works of art can be viewed around the clock. Admission is free, a guided tour concept is provided by the Museum for Sepulchral Culture.

Costs

Regular: 120€
Weekend: 150€

The main cemetery in the northern part of Kassel is an important contemporary witness to the city of Kassel and probably one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the area.

The many artistically and differently designed graves allow a very unbiased approach to the often difficult topics of death, remembrance and mourning for children. With its park-like atmosphere it seems to be the ideal place to talk to the children about the forms of farewell and to take away the fear of the unknown. Together, the figures and inscriptions are examined and explained by our staff regarding their history and meaning. Many riddles and pictures await parents and children.

Kosten

Regular: 120€
Weekend: 150€

Children and death is still a taboo subject in society. One can see this simply from the fact that there is little debate or research on this difficult topic.

Whether it is the death of a beloved pet, or a valuable person leaving the child's environment, or even the fact that the child comes into contact with death through the media: when the time comes, it is important to be prepared as an adult for questions and fears.

For this reason, we offer project days on various aspects of saying goodbye in order to prepare parents and education officers for dealing with mourning children and children confronted with death.

Ideally, children or youth groups take part in the three-day project programme together with their parents or educators. In the museum, the crematorium, the cemetery or the artists' necropolis, you can then explore the topics of dying, death, burial, mourning and remembrance in the company of our experts or choose just a few of these five aspects as the content of a single project day. If you wish to put together an individual programme beforehand, simply contact us.

Costs

200€ per day á 6 hours

You can book 1, 2 or 3 days.