Ruhepark Lehmkuhlen

Lehmkuhlen, Germany, Germany

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The Ruhepark Lehmkuhlen is a “resting forest” or woodland burial place in the Schleswig‑Holstein village of Lehmkuhlen, located within the historic Arboretum Lehmkuhlen near Preetz, Germany.

Established in 2006 as the first burial forest in Schleswig‑Holstein, it allows ashes to be interred in biodegradable urns at the base of selected trees, with only a small, discreet plaque on the tree trunk giving name, birth, and death dates, rather than a traditional grave or headstone.

The park combines the concept of a natural, ecological woodland funeral with the special atmosphere of the old‑growth arboretum, where native trees such as beeches and oaks shelter both local and exotic species, and visitors can walk freely through the forest while honoring the quiet, tree‑linked resting places of the deceased.