Switzerland

Many people want to remain close to their loved ones after death. This is also true for members of the LGBTQ community. Soon they will have their own burial ground in Zurich.

When you enter the Sihlfeld Cemetery, you are greeted by a tree-lined boulevard. All that can be heard is the rustling of branches swaying in the wind and the chirping of birds. It is easy to forget one is within the noisy city centre of Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city.

In a small corner of the largest public cemetery in the city, which covers an area of 280,000 square metres, a section for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer) people is being carved out. Backers of the project see this as an act of affirmation rather than segretation.

The Rainbow Rest project was launched in February last year by several queer organisations keen to provide a final resting place for people from the LGBTQ community. The first in Switzerland

Sihlfeld’s graveyard for LGBTQ people is the first of its kind in Switzerland.