Looking at the Handloser Stele, you might ask: Who was Handloser and why is there a stele dedicated to his memory?
The Handloser Stele is a memorial here in Konstanz. It is dedicated to the memory of someone named Handloser. The stele is made of stone. You can see the inscription on the stele that says: “Dem Andenken Handlosers gewidmet”. This translates to “Dedicated to the memory of Handloser”.
Konstanz has a rich history with various monuments and memorials. Like the memorial to the murdered Jews of Konstanz and the Imperia statue. The Handloser Stele is another piece of Konstanz’s cultural landscape.
The Technical Services of the City of Konstanz offer many different forms of burial in the cemeteries of the city. The Stele Garden of the Konstanz artist Alexander Gebauer is a communal urn grave site. It has existed since 2017. It is located in grave fields 19 and 23 of the Konstanz main cemetery. The artist has arranged the steles made of high-quality stone partly upright, lying down and also layered. The entire complex is traversed by a paved path and a year-round planted bed, which leads to the center of the complex. The urns are buried around the steles and the names are inscribed directly on the steles. The grave site is maintained by the cemetery operator. The period of rest is 20 years. Since these are optional graves for up to two urn burials, the graves can be extended after the end of the resting period.
Another variant of communal urn burial sites is offered by TBK at the cemeteries in Dettingen and Dingelsdorf. The center of the two grave sites is a common stele. This grave form is designed for several optional grave sites embedded in a lawn. The name is inscribed by and at the expense of the relatives. Grave planting is not planned. Flowers and grave arrangements can be placed on the paved surface. The community grave site is maintained by the cemetery operator. The period of rest is 20 years, with the option to extend it.
The Handloser Stele stands as a reminder. It invites us to reflect on the lives of those who came before us. It encourages us to remember their stories. While the exact details of Handloser’s life might be unclear, the stele ensures he is not forgotten. It connects him to the history of Konstanz. It is a permanent part of the city.