Jonathan Liechti

For many, dying and death are unpleasant and difficult topics to grasp. For others, it means everyday life. When a person dies, it affects not only their relatives but a whole group of people who work with death every day. From the intensive care physician and the chaplain who care for people until death, to the undertakers and crematorium staff who strive for a dignified mourning process, to the sexton of the cemetery chapel who accompanies the funeral processions and tends to the graves. In Switzerland, the process of dying follows a regulated and institutionalised procedure. In 2020, the Corona pandemic will bring this topic into the focus of society. Restricted numbers of visitors, social distancing and veiling protective suits create distance. Saying goodbye becomes more difficult and is sometimes completely denied to some. The pandemic leads to even greater institutionalisation and raises the question of how we as a society deal with dying and death: What happens when we die?