The darkest preparations. The European NATO country where the search for more space in cemeteries has begun

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Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they will never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war.

The search follows recommendations from the national secretariat of the Church of Sweden, which reflect the crisis preparedness guidelines of the Swedish Civil Emergencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces, according to Associated Press.

Training guidelines have been cast in a new light by Sweden’s decision to join NATO and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.

In accordance with the Church of Sweden’s provisions, supported by the legal paragraphs of the Swedish Burial Act, burial societies are responsible for ensuring that sufficient land is available to bury approximately 5% of a parish’s population if necessary.

The Gothenburg funeral association, which operates in Sweden’s second largest city, is currently facing the challenge of acquiring at least 40,470 square meters of land to ensure it can handle urgent burials in coffins for about 30,000 war dead. This is in addition to another 15 acres (60,700 sq m) of land needed to build general purpose cemeteries in Gothenburg.

“(The recommendations) mean that we need more land for cemeteries, and this is a phenomenon and a problem in large cities, where land resources are limited and not always sufficient to meet the needs of cemeteries, even in times of tranquility and peace,” said Katarina Evenseth, senior adviser at the Gothenburg Funeral Association.

Together with the local municipality, which has a monopoly on land use decisions in Gothenburg, the burial association has identified a large area suitable for the construction of a large cemetery for the intended purpose.

However, a lengthy approval and construction process means it could take around 10 years to complete, raising new challenges in uncertain times.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Civil Emergencies Agency (MSB) continues to emphasize the importance of crisis preparedness and highlights the efforts of the Church of Sweden.

“Since 2015, the government has designated various authorities to start getting involved in civil defense planning again, and many organizations have started planning, with the Church of Sweden at the forefront of this planning,” said Jan-Olof Olsson, an expert on critical infrastructure protection (CIP) at MSB.

“Unfortunately, we are being reminded more and more that war could happen and that we need to be prepared for it,” Olsson said.

Sweden followed a policy of neutrality from the beginning of the 19th century, including during World War II.

But public opinion shifted sharply in 2022 after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting Sweden and Finland to apply to join the transatlantic alliance, worried about the threat posed by Russia’s aggressive new neighbor across the Baltic Sea.

Sweden and Finland sent updated civilian preparedness guides in November with instructions on how to survive in the event of war. The guidelines are similar to those of Denmark and Norway, although they do not mention Russia by name.