I chose Nadine’s final resting place this morning. They just opened a new section for tree graves at the Waldfriedhof so there were many options. All of the new places are very close to the entry, the hall and one of the main ways.

I opted for the coziest nook available. Easily accessible and unpretentious, just like her character was. She will be buried at the foot of a hemlock (tsuga), an evergreen that grows in Germany and America either. It’s the tree on the left side in the picture. With a caliber of half a meter it can be hugged like her.

Conor Oberst, an American songwriter whose music Nadine and I both loved, just released a new album whrere he mentions a tree burial. I went to see his intimate solo performance a few weeks ago but he didn’t play the song. Maybe that’s been better for me, because it’s second verse gives me a sad but clear prospect of my future:

Her bathrobe hangs on the bedroom door
Though she’s been dead for a year or more
He buried her by the sycamore
So that he could keep her close
It broke his heart and it made him old
Tries to rebuild but it just erodes
Some people say that’s the way it goes
But he don’t feel that way

Nadine’s burial will take place on February 10th at 11 a.m. at the Waldfriedhof Stuttgart and I want to invite you all to take part in her funeral cortage. I’ve been with her to that very natural graveyard once and she liked it there.

There will be a very personal and secular service of about half an hour in the hall first, around which you can write your condolences into a book. After that, her urn will be buried amongst the roots of a tree we have yet to choose. We opted for this modest and very natural kind of resting-place because it represents the way she was and because I do know that she liked the idea.

There will be a few flowers available for you to drop into her grave. If you want to bring your own, you can do so too. But please keep in mind that there won’t be much space for bouquets or stuff and that decoration is only allowed on a limited scale. We’re also figuring out a restauration to which we can proceed after the funeral.

Nadine’s body stayed in our flat until yesterday evening. My mother, Annika and Johanna were the first ones to arrive in the morning, Nadine’s parents and other family members followed. Except for my mother they all left in the early afternoon to give me some time to say my goodbyes. Did anyone of you ever cuddle up to a dead body and kiss stone-cold lips? I hope you never have to. But I can tell you that, even though you might not fancy it right now, in the situation given you will. At 7 .p.m. the mortician arrived and Nadine left our beloved flat for the last time – once again on a stretcher.

Nadine was brought to some kind of goodbye-room at the Waldfriedhof Leinfelden (Manosquer Straße 77) where she will stay until Wednesday. If you want to share a last personal moment with her, you can go there between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.  There’s also the option to drop something in her coffin that will be burned together with her body towards the end of the week. Please make sure that you don’t arrive there before Monday 12 a.m.

There will be an official service too, propably at Febraury 10th, to which all of you are invited. We’re busy making plans, but the date has to be confirmed yet.