Bystřice nad Pernštejnem has a columbarium in the form of a crystal tree of memories

Bystřice nad Pernštejnem – In the municipal cemetery in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem, people will be able to place urns with the ashes of the deceased into the "roots" of the tree of memories, which has glowing crystal leaves. On an area of 15 square meters, 600 urns can be placed, and the ashes of up to five hundred deceased can be poured into a central storage unit. The town, with 8,000 inhabitants, paid around six million crowns for the unconventional columbarium enhanced with electronics. Urns could be deposited there starting in September. This was stated to ČTK by the mayor of the city, Martin Horák (an independent), and a representative of the supplying company during today's presentation of the tree of memories.

The cemetery is in the city and is surrounded by roads. The city hall sought a way to prepare as many places as possible for the storage of urns, as cremations currently prevail over coffin burials. The mayor did not notice any controversy among the people regarding the unconventional columbarium. He noted that the bereaved can choose whether to opt for the tree of memories or a traditional storage unit. "We continue to create urn graves and urn compartments," he stated. Urn compartments are located in a stone wall that forms the cemetery’s enclosure.

The crystal tree of memories has been in Mariánské Lázně for two years. Bystřice nad Pernštejnem chose the concept of Memory Crystal from Česká Lípa as the second in the Czech Republic. "We have about 15 projects arranged that are at various stages of development," said operational director Lukáš Illek to ČTK.

The new memorial site in Bystřice is separated from the surrounding graves by slopes and greenery. The tree is located in a glazed atrium, which measures over four meters at its highest point. Beneath the surface, there are 120 stainless steel tubes, each of which can hold five urns. The tree's branches feature 600 glass leaves, one for each urn. During a burial, these will be replaced with new ones, which may also contain a bit of cremation ash if desired by the bereaved. The deceased's name and dates can be sandblasted onto them.

At the entrance doors of the atrium, there is a tablet where the bereaved can upload the deceased's name, a photo, and a biography. Those who have access to the system can also write messages there. Using the tablet or a mobile app, they can light up their leaf so that the pulsing light resembles a burning candle. Otherwise, the tree is set with colorful scenes according to the seasons, for example, blue light for winter. According to Illek, the columbarium is not demanding on electricity consumption because it uses smart chips and LED technology.