Camp coffins prove a hit with gay Germans

Camp coffins prove a hit with gay Germans

Undertakers in Cologne offer coffins adorned with images of male nudes and coffins and urns in rainbow colours

Friday 19 November 2010

Hohenzollem bridge and Cologne cathedral. Gay residents of the German city can now buy coffins in rainbow colours. Photograph: Corbis

Two undertakers in the north-western German city of Cologne are trying to tap into the gay market by selling coffins adorned with images of male nudes.

• The prize piece in their display window is a €1,650 coffin decorated with images of mostly naked, muscular young men in athletic poses inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings.
  "We believe you should be able to have a coffin that lets you embark on your last journey in a way that reflects how you lived your life," said undertaker Thomas Brandl. "People are really interested because it's unique. Reactions have been very positive so far."
  Brandl and his business partner Michael Koenigsfeld said they had branched out into the gay market in order to satisfy the increasing number of special requests they received.
  The gay couple also sell coffins and urns in rainbow colours – the international symbol of the gay and lesbian movement – and offer burials around a tree reserved exclusively for gay men.
  The pair also cater for the heterosexual market in an unconventional way, giving customers the opportunity to design coffins for their loved ones.
  "You can choose different colours and designs," Brandl said. "You could go for Cologne's skyline or lots of women on your coffin. A grandmother might like images of her grandchildren on hers – there are loads of possibilities."