*4.2. An Island of Passage*

As in many religions, the idea of the Christian funeral is that of the "passage" or transition, in which Jesus Christ preceded man and through whom access to new and everlasting life with God was opened. Vatican II marked the transition from a more static funeral rite with an emphasis on prayer for mercy, penance, liberation from sins and salvation towards a "new" rite with rituals and prayers focusing on the guidance of the deceased in the passage from death to new life on the one hand, and being close to and consoling the relatives on the other.

The adaptions to the small "island" aim to spatialize the concept of passage in several ways (Figure 7). Re-introducing the small moat and hedge separates the ensemble of the church, rectory and guild hall from the rural environment, confirming the idea of a secluded and sacred place in an informal way. Bridges or crossings formalize the "passage" towards and from the island. Relatives accompany the deceased and take part of the transition: from a life with, to a life without the physical presence of the departed. The experience of separation is to be strengthened by "freeing up" the island grounds through the creation of an accessible garden (by removing the lower vegetation and cultivating the higher) and concentrating the new graveyard interventions outside of the island (the old graveyard around the church remains but is no longer actively in use). This connects with Christian images of the biblical garden, adding to the site a character of peace and eternity. In addition, the open garden creates the space for outdoor gatherings and memorial services, for instance on the occasion of the feast of All-Souls, still very popular in Flanders and as such also appropriated beyond its religious meaning and transferred to more secular or cultural environments.

**Figure 7.** "Island" plan with 1. St. Odulphus church, 2. former rectory and 3. guild hall: (**a**) Existing situation with part of the historical moat surrounding the site; (**b**) Proposed situation with a reintroduction of the moat and the removal of lower vegetation to create an open view to the rural environment.

The same spiritual charge can also be experienced at the Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof in Langemark, Belgium (Figure 8). Designed by Robert Tischler and built between 1930 and 1932, the cemetery has similar features. Besides the subtle use of Christian iconography, the site remains visually open and blends into the surrounding agricultural landscape, relying on the same interventions to distinguish it. The spatial contrast between the graveyard grid with horizontal tombstones and the high stem trees renders the appropriate atmosphere for memory and loss.

**Figure 8.** Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof in Langemark Belgium: an open and accessible graveyard with a spiritual character defined by a grid of horizontal tombstones and the vertical presence of full grown trees.
