When a grave becomes a sign of love

Polish Association of Life Defenders Man completed the task of construction on the Tyniecki Podgórki Cemetery and the Red Current Cemetery in Kraków gravestones on 21 collective graves children unborn. The municipality of Kraków undertakes systematic burials of dead children born in Kraków hospitals whose parents quit the organization of an individual funeral.

“We not only planted gravestones on the graves, but committed ourselves to guarding the graves until the end of the current lease period of each of the burial sites, and after it ended, to accept financial work for extending this period for further years. So now we can say that all collective graves of dead children born from municipal funerals in Krakow were decently cared for by us. As the oldest organization pro-life in Krakow, we believe that it is no 1 else, but it is our Association that is first obliged to carry out specified an crucial task

– explains Wojciech Zięba, president of the association.

Since 2026 the municipality of Kraków has introduced cremation as part of funerals organised by the Municipal Social Assistance Centre, including children lost. For this reason, in 13 graves the Association besides placed lower urns. This solution will supply for another fewer decades worthy burial sites for unborn children left in Kraków hospitals, without the request to make fresh graves.

– The association helps families throughout Poland to organize household funerals. Parents should always receive support and knowing for the desire to bury their child. At times, however, families face insurmountable difficulties to give their children an individual funeral. Then a mass ceremony is simply a form of emergency intervention

– noted Dr. Piotr Guzdek, task coordinator.

For this reason, the Association co-organises collective funerals in Krakow, which are intended to guarantee that all kid has a farewell and a worthy place to deposit his body or remains.

– It is crucial to emphasize the excellent cooperation of all entities participating in the organisation of collective funerals of children lost in Krakow: administration of hospitals, the Municipal Social Assistance Centre, the board of cemeteries and the social side, that is besides our association. I can confirm with all work that this is due to the excellent attitude of the management of the Municipal Social Assistance Centre's Organizational Department, which integrates all these environments, thus building a fresh quality of the culture of perinatal mourning in the social relations of our city," emphasizes Mr Guzdek.

Parents are entitled right to organize the burial of the child, regardless of the age of the lost pregnancy, as long as the body or fetal remains have been secured. Legal regulations give parents the chance to organise a child's funeral, both erstwhile his sex has been established and erstwhile he remains undetermined.

Medical personnel of the maternity ward are obliged to get a message of the patient's will before leaving the infirmary regarding the burial of the child. The patient must decide whether she chooses individual burial – in her own right or whether she chooses to donate the kid to a collective burial organised by the municipality. Since August this year parents can get social safety benefits without having to identify the child's gender.

A parent has the right to arrange a ceremony for his child. However, if he resigns from this right, the work to give funerals passes to the municipality. Hence, collective funerals of dead children, held by the Municipal Social Assistance Centres, are fulfilling the statutory obligations of the municipality.

– The dignity of a prenatal kid is extended in the attitude of Pietism towards fetal corpses. The affirmation of human dignity in the prenatal period is irrevocably implied by showing respect for the corpse of a kid who is aborted and dead born. Therefore, funerals and graves of dead children are a form of affirmative pro-life communication, where the right to life and dignity of the kid during the prenatal period is not mentioned in the context of political disputes, but in a beautiful experience of respect for the deceased child," says Mr Guzdek

The collective graves of children lost at the Tyniecki Hill Cemetery and the Red Current Cemetery are visited many times by families of children resting here. They are besides visited by parents who, for many years ago, did not bury their kid and now want to mention a short communicative of his life in specified a peculiar place of remembrance of unborn children. Collective graves thus become a symbolic memorial to children who do not have their own grave.

– Collective burials indicate the needs of families themselves in the course of perinatal mourning, especially designation of parental identity and empathic companionship of orphaned spouses and adequate support of older siblings and grandparents of lost child

– emphasizes P. Guzdek.

A unique symbol, which allows you to easy admit graves of children unborn at Tyniecki Hill Cemetery and Red Current Cemetery, is heart with 2 feet and the epitaph “They Gone to Live Forever...”. The gravestones contain the names and names of those of the dead children for whom birth certificates were drawn up.

– By cleaning the graves, preparing lower urns and planting gravestones “we behaved as necessary”, due to the fact that it was impossible to do otherwise, given the dignity of the dead children and respect for orphan families. This is primarily the work of the Donors of our association, without which it would be impossible to carry out this task. Thanks to the support of Donors, Kraków's graves of lost children became a sign of love, which remembers and restores hope – says W. Zięb, president of the association.

Audiovisual material for radio and television.

Photo package for the press.

Photo: Karolina Krawczyk