It's more about life than death': the growing popularity of Berlin's cemetery cafes

"They're beautifully tucked away in some of the quietest, leafiest corners of central Berlin, and for their passionate patrons, they are a way of life among the dead. The German capital has about a dozen cemetery cafes not necessarily spaces for mourning, although they can be that, too but mainly serving as islands of peace in busy districts. Unlike Paris or New York, where burial grounds traditionally occupy vast expanses on the historical outer reaches of the urban landscape, Berlin's cemeteries have long been human-scale and primarily kiezbezogen, or rooted in communities. There has been a boom over the past decade, with coffee houses opening within cemetery walls and even in a former crematorium. Initial fears that customers would be spooked or mourners offended have proved largely groundless."

"One cafe, Lisbeth, is ensconced in a former parish hall surrounded by mature Japanese cherry trees. It is managed by Italian-born Chiara de Martin Topranin, 30, who found it via a vaguely written online advert seeking someone to run a lovely spot in the Mitte district with a great garden."

"Since taking on the role, Topranin, who studied psychology, soon noticed that her clientele came to her with a different energy than in a normal street cafe. As soon as they pass the cemetery gates, they just seem a bit more empathetic, a little gentler. She tries to strike a delicate balance with her guests, respecting the anguish"

Central Berlin hosts about a dozen cemetery cafés that function as peaceful, community-rooted islands of calm rather than solely sites for mourning. These cafés appear within human-scale, neighborhood cemeteries and have proliferated over the past decade, including locations inside cemetery walls and a former crematorium. Early concerns about upsetting mourners have proven largely unfounded as regular customers accept and enjoy the settings. Lisbeth, a café in a former parish hall surrounded by cherry trees, exemplifies the trend, and operators report that visitors often display gentler, more empathetic energy after entering cemetery grounds.

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