Funeral rethought
“Let’s talk about death, baby!”
Hamburg residents Evgeniya Polo (left) and Victoria Dietrich founded the online undertaker “Emmora”.
© Emmora
Victoria, 33, and Evgeniya, 29, bring lightness to the end of life. On their website “Emmora” you can plan funerals with just a few clicks – for deceased relatives and for yourself.
When a loved one dies, there are endless decisions and arrangements to make. But there is another way. With “Emmora” you can plan a funeral online in peace and quiet.
BRIGITTE: How did two young women like you find their way to death?
Victoria Dietrich: My grandparents died relatively quickly one after the other, and I was amazed at how complicated it is to bury a person. It wasn’t until the fourth funeral in the family that it was really nice because then we had all the information we needed. Throughout the whole process I asked myself how we could make this all easier. Then I met Evgeniya and pretty quickly quit my job at the shipping company Maersk.
Evgeniya Polo: I am a real Berlin start-up child and learned early on how to offer services on the Internet more conveniently and better. So I quickly landed on the topic of end of life. Just like Victoria, I would like to take some of the sadness out of death and grief that surrounds the end of life in our Western cultures.
What does the “end of life” mean for you?
Victoria: We don’t see death as a one-off event, but as a phase of life in which life slowly comes to an end. In the end, it’s all about saying goodbye and death itself, but coming to terms with it can start as early as age 25.
Is this part of the modern funeral culture that you advocate?
Evgeniya: Yes, because we want to make the big picture more visible instead of just burying people. We see the topic as part of our lives and open ourselves up to the various possibilities that exist today. For example, we offer tree burials or urns made of cardboard that you can make and paint together as a family. Everything can be planned digitally with us.
Putting together the funeral or funeral arrangements like a short vacation with just a few clicks – is that appropriate for the event?
Evgeniya: We also asked ourselves that at the beginning: Are people willing to use a digital service when it comes to something as emotional as death? Today we know that this has many advantages: it is convenient, and people can be accompanied on the phone in their own home if they wish. After the death of someone close to you, you are often in a dissolved emotional state and don’t necessarily want to make an appointment with the undertaker.
Victoria: Going to a funeral director is always a hurdle: you prepare yourself for the appointment, have to think about what to wear and maybe don’t dare ask how much the entire organization costs.
Evgeniya: Online you can take your time to explore the options before making a decision. You put together the funeral you want and immediately get an offer with all the costs – a bit like a wedding planner, but for the last trip.
What would your last trip look like?
Victoria: I would like a classic earth burial, preferably somewhere in the forest with a view of the sea. At the memorial service, lots of flowers, live singing and a great speech are welcome. Unfortunately, in Germany, burials in the ground are currently only permitted within cemetery walls. But hopefully that will change by the time I die.
Evgeniya: I think a farewell in the forest would be nicest. I want my loved ones to meet around the campfire and tell stories and anecdotes from my life. People should laugh, drink and eat. This event should be a celebration of life, a beautiful, nostalgic farewell – definitely not dreary and sad!