Necropolis as a material remembrance space

Abstract

The contemporary town planning and architecture abundantly create various public, private, production, recreation, and remembrance spaces, in order to comply with the material and spiritual needs of individuals and large communities alike. Remembrance places - necropolises - are important structural elements of cities that strongly affect the human psyche. Modern forms of spatial arrangement of necropolises search for solutions which will not only provide a rational (ergonomic, economic, ecological) material shape of the burial place, but also satisfy man's mental needs connected with the burial, funeral, veneration of the dead, visits to the cemetery, irrespective of man's age and physical fitness level. Built over the centuries and still existing necropolises are a material and spiritual cultural heritage left to us by the past generations. Mostly built of symbolic stones - "remembrance stones", they make specific "libraries" with "stone books" for the present and future generations. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.