Cemetery culture Bern breaks new ground with cemetery restaurant "La Vie"
Switzerland's first restaurant of its kind in a cemetery is being built in two former urn halls in Bern's Bremgarten Cemetery. A place where life and death can meet in a natural way.
16.08.2025, 05:00
SDA
Dignified, sublime and monumental: the crematorium built in 1908 at the Bremgarten cemetery in Bern. The ensemble also includes the urn halls, which were added a few years later.
But burials in these solemn, quiet, marble-lined halls with their many small urn niches are hardly in demand today, says Mirjam Veglio, Managing Director of the Bernese Cooperative for Cremations, which is responsible for cremations.
Nowadays, people are much more likely to want to take their loved ones' urns home with them or bury them outside in a suitable place.
Meaningful use sought
Because the crematorium complex with its urn halls is a listed building, it must be preserved. At some point, the question arose as to what should be done with the urn halls, which were no longer in demand.
The cooperative did not simply want to restore the halls "for the museum", but instead considered how to create added value for the cemetery and put the halls to good use, Veglio told the Keystone-SDA news agency at a local meeting.
The first ideas for a "café" emerged around twenty years ago, but it took time for a more concrete project to emerge.
The conversion to a restaurant was finally approved in 2024. According to Veglio, there was no resistance on moral or ethical grounds during the approval process. Instead, the focus was on small-scale legal issues relating to the zone for public use to which the crematorium site is assigned.
According to Veglio, the Bernese restaurant has a pioneering character. There is already a cemetery café on a smaller, voluntary scale in Lucerne, for example.
Renovation work underway
In the meantime, renovation work is underway in the two urn halls III and IV in Bern. After careful consultation with the descendants, good solutions have been found for the few remaining urn graves, says Veglio.
Because this is a need for some people, the halls are also being energetically cleaned, says Veglio. The restaurant aims to reflect the tranquillity and atmosphere of the cemetery. It is called "La Vie", which means "life" in French. A special meeting place, as sensitive as it is inspiring.
Anything that fits in with the special surroundings can take place in "La Vie", including quieter cultural activities such as readings, mourning cafés and the like. In order to continue to have a say in the direction of the restaurant, the cooperative will not lease it out, but will employ a manager.
The interior design, of which little is yet visible, will incorporate elements of the Belle Epoque, the period in which the crematorium was built. Bordeaux and green will be the leading colors inside.
"We want to create something beautiful," emphasizes Veglio. Something that contrasts the heaviness with a certain lightness of mood. Guests will enter the restaurant through a bright, glazed entrance. Light floods into the room from high windows. A second, conservatory-like room will be used primarily for the funeral meal, often referred to as the "Grebt" in the canton of Bern.
Veglio knows that many people feel the need to sit together after a funeral service, whether informally over a coffee or glass of wine or for longer at a classic "Grebt" with food.
In the immediate vicinity of the cemetery, there are hardly any places that can provide the necessary setting for the special atmosphere of a funeral congregation. "People come to us with a tear in their eye and leave with a smile on their face," says Veglio.
A place for everyone
La Vie doesn't just want to be a place for mourners, but deliberately a meeting place for everyone. From strollers to those seeking peace and quiet to the local population, the restaurant should appeal to everyone, regardless of culture and religion.
It is expected to open next January. According to an agreement with the city, the restaurant will be open on weekdays until 8 p.m. at the latest. The menu ranges from coffee and croissants to lunch, sweets and aperitifs.
