Montrouge Cemetery: Life After Death?
This is the first cemetery I decided to visit in Paris. It was truly the luck of the draw. I was feeling badly after class and needed a place to clear my head. I opened my Google maps app and searched for the closest cemetery in walking distance. Montrouge won.
I did a walkthrough of the cemetery in the video below. When watching this, and future videos, please keep in mind that I am a student of cemeteries. Yes, I have worked and volunteered in cemeteries for 5 years. Additionally, I took a cemetery class at the University of Mary Washington. I’ve also dabbled in learning about death practices and death philosophies in some of my other classes. I’ve completed an archaeology field school and a course on archaeology. Since my major is historic preservation, I’ve also spent a lot of time learning about preservation, restoration, and conservation of various materials and structures. If you want my credentials, check out my Professional page. There you will find my resume which includes some training, education, and work experience in cemeteries and historic preservation. That being said, I’m not an expert. I’m a student. It is my hope to become an expert. And, I will point out that when I work at a place, I work hard to become the expert of that place. Having expertise in one cemetery does not make one an expert over all cemeteries. Each cemetery is different, having its own history, needs, and challenges. So, I will never call myself an expert on cemeteries. Instead, I consider myself as one on the journey to achieve expertise in cemeteries. Hopefully this experience in Paris will help.
If you do not agree with anything in my videos, that is fine. These are my opinions and things I’ve learned through experience and through my studies. Cemetery work is not one-size-fits-all. So, you are welcome to disagree. My videos are made for those who desire to learn, who desire to take a stroll in some unusual cemeteries, and who want to share their own knowledge about cemeteries. Please comment on the videos so that we can learn from each other. Thanks!
After walking the cemetery, I returned to my dorm and researched the location. It turns out that the city of Montrouge has a long history as a community before it was ever a part of Paris. Additionally, the community is forward-thinking. They purposefully decided to be eco-responsible, and it’s not just words. The city of Montrouge is doing amazing things and they’ve integrated the Montrouge Cemetery into their plans to be zero-phyto and eco-responsible. These aren’t words we hear often in the United States as we focus still on being eco-friendly and “green.” To learn more about the concepts of zero-phyto and eco-responsible, check out my video.
Personally, I can’t say enough about Montrouge and their cemetery. What a lovely way to use cemetery space and to keep it relevant and even necessary to the living. In an odd juxtaposition, this place of death becomes the impetus for new life.
