You're alive a short while and dead forever. Might as well have company.
May 30, 2013 7:30 AM Subscribe
In the 19th century, in Roermond, The Netherlands, lived a man who was Colonel of Cavalry, and a Protestant. He married a Catholic noblewoman (likely quite a scandal in a country which was heavily segregated along religious lines at the time). The husband died in 1880 and was buried on the Protestant side of the cemetery. When his wife died eight years later, she could not be buried next to him, as a wall separated the Catholic and Protestant sides. A novel, and rather touching, solution was found.
If there was ever a situation that illustrated the stupidity of arguing over religion, this is it.
posted by prepmonkey at 7:40 AM on May 30, 2013 [15 favorites]
posted by prepmonkey at 7:40 AM on May 30, 2013 [15 favorites]
The tomb of Pyramus and Thisbe!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:42 AM on May 30, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:42 AM on May 30, 2013 [4 favorites]
A novel, and rather touching, solution was found.
And incredibly creepy. You forgot incredibly creepy. Or is it just me?
posted by The Bellman at 7:45 AM on May 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
And incredibly creepy. You forgot incredibly creepy. Or is it just me?
posted by The Bellman at 7:45 AM on May 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
arguing over religion<- religion is just a convenient marker for ethnicity. The argument is always over tribal control of land.
My Belfast raised, Protestant mum married a Catholic in early 60s, so I'll send her this.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:57 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
My Belfast raised, Protestant mum married a Catholic in early 60s, so I'll send her this.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:57 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
At the same cemetery, the family tomb of the Linssen family - popularly called The Fridge.
Notably, both the Atlas Obscura and it's source, the Unusual Places blog, get the position of this cemetery wrong. The former places it at an airbase near Utrecht, the latter in a cemetery in Hasselt, Belgium. The correct location is here. See also nl:wiki, fr:wiki and Panoramio.
posted by brokkr at 7:59 AM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
Notably, both the Atlas Obscura and it's source, the Unusual Places blog, get the position of this cemetery wrong. The former places it at an airbase near Utrecht, the latter in a cemetery in Hasselt, Belgium. The correct location is here. See also nl:wiki, fr:wiki and Panoramio.
posted by brokkr at 7:59 AM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
If there was ever a situation that illustrated the stupidity of arguing over religion, this is it.
It also shows the capacity for pragmatic compromise for which the Dutch are famous. A macabre but early application of the polder model.
posted by three blind mice at 8:00 AM on May 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
It also shows the capacity for pragmatic compromise for which the Dutch are famous. A macabre but early application of the polder model.
posted by three blind mice at 8:00 AM on May 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
My Belfast raised, Protestant mum married a Catholic in early 60s, so I'll send her this
Mine did the same in the 1980s and got a lovely selection of vicious hate mail.
posted by knapah at 8:16 AM on May 30, 2013
Mine did the same in the 1980s and got a lovely selection of vicious hate mail.
posted by knapah at 8:16 AM on May 30, 2013
Love this--really beautiful and I'll be sharing it far and wide. Practically anyone can be buried in a Catholic cemetery now. As a Catholic, I figure it's better to cram more non-Catholics in there since there's a better chance of their souls being prayed for by random visitors....
posted by resurrexit at 8:40 AM on May 30, 2013
posted by resurrexit at 8:40 AM on May 30, 2013
Leuk!
posted by humboldt32 at 9:15 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by humboldt32 at 9:15 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'll just echo three blind mice's comment about how incredibly Dutch this is. And I mean that as a compliment.
posted by ob at 9:21 AM on May 30, 2013
posted by ob at 9:21 AM on May 30, 2013
Humans seem to need a group that they consider "others". Doesn't really matter who's in that group as long as we can use their otherness to define who "we" are.
It changes, of course. When I was a child, my family referred to my aunt and uncle as a "mixed marriage" because she, a good Catholic from a good Catholic family, had married a Protestant.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:36 AM on May 30, 2013
It changes, of course. When I was a child, my family referred to my aunt and uncle as a "mixed marriage" because she, a good Catholic from a good Catholic family, had married a Protestant.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:36 AM on May 30, 2013
I am relieved and pleased to see such greats strides made in the name of tolerance and (mutual) understanding. The problem is that, while their corpses lie next to one another, their souls are forever forbidden to bridge the gap: for while, by definition, one must reside in hell, the other perhaps rests in heaven, at the feet of the loving Jesus and all the heavenly minions. This is god's little paradox: can't let them both go to hell to be together (that would be some sort of heavenly pandering), can't bring them both to heaven to be together. I say god turns them upside down in a pool of boiling shit for a few centuries, then sticks them in one of the intermediate circles of hell, but, you know, across the room from each other.
Well, at least we did manage to get heliocentrism settled. Now, about that that evolutionary stuff...
posted by mule98J at 10:10 AM on May 30, 2013
Well, at least we did manage to get heliocentrism settled. Now, about that that evolutionary stuff...
posted by mule98J at 10:10 AM on May 30, 2013
the family tomb of the Linssen family
does it ..... um ..... open??
posted by gerstle at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
does it ..... um ..... open??
posted by gerstle at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Our almost-instinct almost true."
posted by Paul Slade at 10:36 AM on May 30, 2013
posted by Paul Slade at 10:36 AM on May 30, 2013
gerstle: "does it ..... um ..... open??"Of course. How would you get the rest of the family in if it doesn't open?
posted by brokkr at 10:59 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
It just goes to show that people and their ignorant beliefs can force an unnatural division between those who really didn't sign up for such treatment and, by all rights, shouldn't be negatively impacted by them... pretty much forever.
posted by markkraft at 1:02 PM on May 30, 2013
posted by markkraft at 1:02 PM on May 30, 2013
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posted by Curious Artificer at 7:36 AM on May 30, 2013 [6 favorites]