"We adapt to the grieving"

Mr. Hornof, how did you get into your profession?
As a trained locksmith, I was always doing small jobs at the New Cemetery. When there was a staff shortage, I was available as a stand-in for the crematorium. This quickly developed into a management position and I have been responsible for the facility since 2001.

What does it mean to work at the crematorium?
I had a strange feeling at first, especially during the post-mortems. Everything was new and unfamiliar, so I kept my distance. However, I quickly got to grips with it and got used to the procedures. We are now a well-coordinated team of twelve men who help each other.

What does a typical working day look like?
One part of the job is the post-mortem I mentioned: We undress the deceased for the Frankfurt coroner's office, which examines each person before cremation. We then bring the ovens to an operating temperature of 700-850 degrees Celsius and pass the deceased over to the fire. The ashes are then ground, filled into the urn, sealed and sealed. Each lid contains the name and details of the person. Barcodes prevent mix-ups, even with up to 70 deliveries per day.

Do you have contact with the relatives?
Yes, there is a farewell room where the funeral directors accompany the relatives. Some pray there, or a priest says a few words. Those who wish can follow the cremation on a monitor. Then they give us a signal to start. Our strength is that we adapt to the mourners. Some are very composed, others have not yet understood what is happening or are talking to themselves. We take our time and meet everyone where they are at the moment.

What were and are your biggest challenges?
When children leave a letter by their father's coffin, it has a lasting effect on us. When a widow brings us a cake every year on the day of her husband's cremation as a thank you for the good care, it makes up for a lot. On a technical level, we have managed to supply our service buildings with energy from our in-house heating system. The heat is also converted into cold for our cold stores, which saves a huge amount of energy. Now I'm looking forward to the refurbishment of our rooms. We want to create a pleasant atmosphere - the idea that places of mourning have to be dark is long outdated.