Sweden embarks on a search for more cemetery space in case of war – National

Burial associations in Sweden looking to get enough land for something they hope they will never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war.

The search follows recommendations from the national secretariat of the Church of Sweden, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces.

The guidelines for preparation have been put in a new light by Sweden’s decision to participate NATO and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.

According to the provisions of the Church of Sweden, supported by legal paragraphs in the Swedish Burial Act, burial societies are responsible for ensuring the availability of enough land to bury about five percent of the population within a parish, if that is necessary.

The Goteborg Burial Association, which operates in Sweden’s second largest city, is currently trying to navigate the challenge of acquiring at least 40,470 square meters of land to ensure that it can carry out floating coffin burials for around 30,000 dead can handle in case of war. That is in addition to another 60,700 square meters of land needed to build cemeteries for regular use in Gothenburg.

“The (recommendations) mean that we need more land for cemeteries and that is a phenomenon in the big cities, and a problem in the big cities, where land resources are scarce to begin with and not always enough to even to meet burial grounds. in times of calm and peace,” said Katarina Evenseth, senior consultant at the Goteborg Burial Association.

Together with the local municipality, which has a monopoly in making land use decisions in Gothenburg, the burial association has identified a large area suitable for building a large-scale cemetery for the intended purpose.

But a lengthy approval and construction process means it could take around 10 years to complete, posing further challenges in uncertain times.

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Meanwhile, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) continues to emphasize the importance of the crisis establishment and highlights the efforts of the Church of Sweden.

“Already back in 2015, the government assigned various authorities to start engaging in civil defense planning again, and many organizations have started planning, with the Church of Sweden at the forefront of that planning,” said Jan-Olof Olsson , Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) expert at MSB.

“Unfortunately, we are being reminded to a greater extent that war could happen and that we just have to be prepared,” Olsson said.

Sweden carried out a policy of neutrality from the early 19th century, also during the Second World War.

But public opinion shifted sharply in 2022 after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leading Sweden and Finland to apply to join the transatlantic alliance out of concern over the threat posed by their newly aggressive Russian neighbor across the Baltic Sea.

Sweden and Finland sent out updated civilian preparedness guides in November with instructions on how to survive in war. The guides are similar to those in Denmark and Norway, although they do not mention Russia by name.

& copy 2024 The Canadian Press