The columbarium DIE EICHE in Lübeck

in the prime of life

Es ist November. Zeit des Gedenkens und Erinnerns. Zeit zum Innehalten. Das ist die beste Gelegenheit, unseren neuen Blogartikel für die Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN einem Ort zu widmen, der weltweit in dieser Form einzigartig ist: dem Kolumbarium DIE EICHE An der Untertrave 34 in Lübeck. Mag sein, dass du dir als Ablenkung vom Novembernebel und von den Krisen rund um uns herum eher einen Tipp für ein gemütliches Café gewünscht hättest. Das Thema Erinnerung wirkt im ersten Moment so belastend. So sehr nach: nicht auch das noch. Nach: da habe ich gar keine Lust drauf. Das mag sein. Andererseits ist der Besuch historischer Friedhöfe und der Grabstätten berühmter Persönlichkeiten wie das Verweilen am Grab von Jim Morrison bei einem Besuch in Paris durchaus nichts Ungewöhnliches.

I can promise you that you will leave the columbarium strengthened by fresh thoughts and new impulses. This is thanks to two dedicated and creative people: Peggy Morenz and Michael Angern, who, at the columbarium DIE EICHE, facilitate a novel approach to the great themes of life and death that have moved humanity since the beginning of time.

The Oak – The Mann family's granary

In Lübeck gibt es drei Kolumbarien: eines auf dem Vorwerker Friedhof, eines in St. Jakobi unterhalb der Pamir Gedenkkapelle, wo Menschen, die sich der Seefahrt und dem Meer verbunden fühlen, ihren letzten Heimathafen finden und eben das Kolumbarium DIE EICHE, das im Mai 2024 an einem durchaus historischen Ort eröffnen konnte. Das Gebäude, das das Kolumbarium beheimatet, war einst der Kornspeicher der Familie Mann. Hier lagerte Getreide, das an Pferde verfüttert wurde. Ein gewinnbringendes Geschäft bis die Einlagerung von Getreide als Schüttgut mit der zunehmenden Motorisierung an Bedeutung verlor, da Kutschen und Wagen als Transportmittel überflüssig wurden. In seinem Roman „Buddenbrooks“ erwähnt Thomas Mann den Speicher, den sein Vater, der Senator Henry Mann, 1873 erbaute.

The striking seven-story neo-Gothic building was one of seven warehouses owned by the Mann family. Incidentally, they all bore memorable names like Fish, Eagle, and Lion, which helped the dockworkers find their way around easily. When the current owners acquired the building, it was in dire need of renovation. After extensive restoration and remodeling, its green shutters have made it a popular spot for photographs, open to bereaved families and anyone who is curious or simply seeking a moment of peace.

Bright perspectives

A visit to the columbarium offers a surprisingly bright perspective on life. Here, where time seems to slow down and light gently caresses the walls, a feeling of security arises. It's an atmosphere that invites you to surrender to your own thoughts. The interior itself is so calming: warm colors, wooden beams, soft shadows. Every corner of this place is carefully considered, a space for remembering, reflecting, and letting go. Peggy Morenz and Michael Angern left nothing to chance. Years of research, conversations, and expert discussions went into the design. "Not arbitrary" is the guiding principle of the initiators, who oriented themselves toward the building's unique character when designing the space. Peggy has an unerring sense for color, materials, and form.

As an experienced product manager in the porcelain industry and designer of porcelain urns, she has developed her own unique style. Michael is a trained forester and worked as an entrepreneur developing software for funeral homes. Therefore, their connection to the themes of remembrance and mourning, which are central to the columbarium, existed long before the realization of their project on the Untertrave.

Counterpoints – Becoming and passing away

You reach the central hall through a small passageway where a figure of the Archangel Michael awaits you, the patron saint and vanquisher of evil, who defeated the dragon of darkness (Lucifer) with his sword. The ceremonial hall resembles a three-aisled basilica. A light installation immediately captivates you upon entering. Its warm light instantly envelops you.

Finde einen Platz auf einer der Holzbänke und lasse die Installation der schweizerischen Künstlerin Madlaina Lys auf dich wirken: 12.703 zerbrechlich wirkende Porzellanplättchen sorgen für die Streuung des Lichts. Wundervoll, dass du bereits hier ganz ins Spüren kommst: sind das aufsteigende Seelen? Oder womöglich weichflaumige Vogelfedern? Ich denke spontan an kleine Briefchen, die mit unseren Gedanken ins Jenseits fliegen.

Also striking is the delicate floral arrangement beneath the light installation. Only plants native to our region and season are included in the arrangements at the EICHE. During my visit, these were plants that were still blooming along the path in late October.

The composition is loosely arranged. This reveals details that wouldn't be visible in a lavish floral arrangement. The understated arrangement of grasses and blossoms evokes a soothing sense of calm.

Vom Hausinstrument in der EICHE hatte ich noch nie gehört. Es handelt sich um eine Celesta. Auch hier fiel die Entscheidung nach einem längeren Abwägungsprozess. Den Charakter eines „dienenden“ Instruments – wie Peggy Morenz sagt – sollte das neben der Leuchte und den Blumen dritte prägende Element der Feierhalle haben. So wurde keine Orgel angeschafft, sondern eben eine Celesta, die auch als himmlisches Instrument bezeichnet wird. Peggy Morenz spielt mir den berühmten „Tanz der Zuckerfee“ aus Tschaikowskis „Der Nußknacker“ vor. Und ja: die Celesta gleicht mit ihrem zarten, belebenden Klang die Wirkung der massiven Holzbalken aus, die die Lagerböden tragen.

"Fear not death, but an unfulfilled life."

Socrates, 469 BC – 399 BC BC

Signs of life

The two upper floors contain the urn graves, each with a unique design. In the large hall facing the Untertrave river, the water of the Trave flowing below seems to be reflected in the walls. A heavy wooden table—also adorned with a floral arrangement—invites you to sit down, write your thoughts, and deposit them in a letter safe. No one will read them, but your thoughts will become part of the overall composition of the EICHE (Oak) memorial.

Ensuring that something remains. This is the motivation of the couple who run the cemetery. Cemetery culture is undergoing profound change. Often, at least a gravestone with a name remains. But more and more people are choosing anonymous burials. The memory of them and their lives, with everything that defined them, is then "as if erased," say Peggy and Michael. Their aim is to preserve a cultural memory. Every person has their own unique story. These stories are given space in the EICHE cemetery through text, images, or objects. Remembering within a cultural context – this is achieved in an almost magical way in the four galleries and four libraries, each dedicated to a theme of humanity. For example, small display cases are placed in front of the urn burial chambers, where memories can be presented.

Some of the niches are already filled with staged mementos. Around 40 interments have taken place since the opening in May. Each one is carefully designed and adorned with lovingly placed mementos. And you immediately ask yourself: What remains? What do I want to leave behind for the world? What can I do today to ensure they are positive thoughts? This is truly about life. Contemplating this also evokes a feeling of gratitude, of a deep connection with those who have passed and with those who are still living. The columbarium makes one's own existence tangible and simultaneously offers solace: The thought that everything transient has its place can reach one's soul like a soft light.

Doors that inspire

In another section, the fronts of the urn niches are adorned with photographs depicting doors. The images, by Lübeck photographer Thorsten Wulff, are in black and white. Many of the pictures still represent placeholders for empty urn graves. Here, too, Peggy, Michael, and I immediately begin discussing the associations evoked by the theme of "doors": the door that symbolizes change and a new beginning; the one that stands open and promises freedom; the one that protects against the outside world; the doors through which we never passed in our lives.

The weight of the soul

Did you know that your soul might weigh 21 grams? I'm hearing about this theory for the first time. Michael tells us that at the beginning of the 20th century, the American physician Duncan MacDougall set out to unravel the mystery of death. According to his theory, the body should become lighter if something is shed from it at the moment of death. To investigate this hypothesis, MacDougall constructed a highly precise scale capable of measuring the weight of a bed and the person lying in it to within 3 grams. According to this, the dying lost exactly 21 grams.

For MacDougall, this was irrefutable proof: a soul truly exists and leaves the body at the moment of death – and it weighs exactly 21 grams. This theory about the weight loss of a dying person does not stand up to scientific scrutiny. In the columbarium, the idea is addressed in a heartwarming way: sheep's wool cocoons, each weighing exactly 21 grams, serve as a reminder of stillborn children.

I encourage you to visit the EICHE. I can only give you a small glimpse here of what awaits you: stories upon stories. Peggy Morenz and Michael Angern want this place to be a place not only for mourners and bereaved families. Inviting sofas and armchairs await you. The carefully curated libraries are there, as are 100 thoughtfully placed original artworks, which, like the floral arrangements and the celesta in the ceremonial hall, serve an enriching function and are not meant to be the main focus. Therefore, the creators of the works are not identified. However, you can consult a brochure about the individual works and the artists on site.

Möglich ist ein Besuch ebenfalls im Rahmen eines Konzerts oder einer Lesung. Aktuell bietet sich das Schauspiel „Letzte Lieder“ des Lübecker Theaters im Kolumbarium DIE EICHE an. Öffentliche Führungen finden jeden ersten Dienstag im Monat ohne Anmeldung zur „Blauen Stunde“ um 17 Uhr statt. Alle Führungen sind kostenfrei. Alle Infos dazu findest du auf der Website der EICHE.

Our tour ends in front of a painting. A still life that captivates me. "Abundance" is the first word that comes to mind. Of being satisfied and yet still having an appetite for more. Of that feeling that only evenings at the table with friends and family can evoke.

The oak tree is a place of power. A treasure in the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town. A gift that Peggy Morenz and Michael Angern have given to Lübeck and to all of us.

PS Finally, two special tips: