Many dead in Geneva cemeteries did not rot

The compacted soil was already a problem in the 19th century. The Saint-Georges cemetery in Geneva. (Archive picture) Image: KEYSTONE

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Some cemeteries in western Switzerland are struggling with a peculiar phenomenon: buried corpses no longer decay due to heavily compacted soil. In Geneva in particular, the authorities have a problem with the slow decomposition.

The director of the burial and cemetery office of the city of Geneva, Anne Humbert-Droz, confirmed corresponding articles by “24 Heures” and “Tribune de Genève” on Tuesday. The two daily newspapers had spoken to Vincent Varlet, who works at the University of Legal Medicine in Lausanne, Switzerland.

According to the expert, the poor decomposition of the corpses is mainly due to the nature of the soil, which is sometimes highly compacted and poorly ventilated. “Since there is less oxygen, the floors settle over time and suffocate. This will put the processes of decomposition to a halt, »said Varlet.

The lack of oxygen and the compressed soil can also be a problem for the microorganisms, beetles and worms involved in the decomposition.

The problem of soils was already recognized in Geneva in the 19th century. In 1880, when the location of the Saint-Georges cemetery was determined, the authorities raised this issue. Because of a compact layer of clay of great thickness, they came to the conclusion that the decomposition would not take place or would take place only very slowly.

Studies on this topic are currently being carried out at the Geneva cemeteries of Saint-Georges, Châtelaine and Petit-Saconnex. (cma / sda)