The Jaun cemetery is a unique resting place. The grave crosses are uniform in a certain way and yet again very personalised. We owe the origin of this unique sight to Walter Cottier (1921-1995). He was an original, self-taught, gifted connoisseur of human nature and grave cross carver.

The adventure began in 1948, when Walter Cottier, a young man full of drive and living in Jaun, decided to design his grandfather's grave in his own way, as their family's poverty did not allow them to buy a gravestone. The special feature of Cottier's cross wall is that on one side the artist depicts the life of the deceased as realistically as possible, while the second side of the wall is mystical and symbolic. In 1988, Walter Cottier was awarded the German-Fribourg Culture Prize for his magnificent work.

After the death of Walter Cottier in 1995, Reinold Boschung took over his legacy. The artist works entirely according to the principle of his predecessor. It is immediately noticeable that the design of the grave crosses forms an outward unity. This can be traced back to the cemetery regulations of the municipality: In death, all are equal.

The design of the back wall of the cross with the motifs shown is the responsibility of the relatives of the deceased in co-operation with the cross carver. It is also the responsibility of the relatives to ensure that the flowers are well cared for. The grave crosses must be removed after 25 years. All Saints' Day has a very special significance. In a memorial service in the church, the deceased are remembered and in the cemetery, autumnal flower colours and very personal symbolism remind us of something that awaits us all: transience.

Today, more and more people are being cremated. Especially those who have no descendants in the village who can afford to pay for the upkeep of the tombstones for burials. For them, the urn grave - on the east side of this church - was artistically created in 1994 by Fribourg artist Freddy Peissard as a memorable memorial.

AN OUTDOOR MUSEUM

The 12 grave crosses on display here are not arranged in chronological order. The oldest (here on the far right) dates from 1960 and, like all the others, bears witness to a great creative endeavour spanning a period of around 45 years. The grave cross next door stood in the cemetery for Walter Cottier for 25 years. It was created by Reinold Boschung.

In collaboration with the municipality of Jaun