Remembrance trees

Against forgetting the “silent birth”

A special partnership: Shirin Prechtl and Celina Probst handed over 3,000 wooden stars to Michele Liussi from "Gesund ins Leben" on behalf of the Imster HTL. (from right).

(Bild: Daum Hubert)

The "Gesund ins Leben" network was able to convince 34 Tyrolean communities to erect a memorial tree to "star babies" during Advent. Those affected can express their grief by hanging one of the 3,000 wooden stars - provided by the HTL Imst - on the tree.

When a life ends before it has even begun, it is particularly difficult for the parents concerned to come to terms with their grief. According to the idea that children who die close to their due date shine as stars in the sky, they are called star children. Thanks to the Red Cross "Gesund ins Leben" network, the light shines particularly brightly on these heavenly creatures around Advent and Christmas.

Last year, the trees commemorating star children stood in seven municipalities; this year, 34 are already taking part.

Michele Liussi, „Gesund ins Leben“.

Remembrance trees will stand in 34 municipalities
Last year, the institution launched a Tyrol-wide initiative with memorial trees, and the second edition is currently being organized. "Last year, the trees commemorating star children were planted in seven municipalities; this year, 34 are already taking part," explains Michele Liussi from "Gesund ins Leben". The parent-child centers (EKIZ) from Imst and Landeck are also on board. 

3000 wooden stars as a sign of remembrance
From Advent onwards, those affected and their relatives can hang up wooden stars that they have inscribed themselves as a sign of remembrance of the "silent birth", which used to be called a miscarriage. The HTL Imst made 3000 wooden stars and recently handed them over to representatives of the campaign free of charge. They will be available in the participating communities under the well-marked trees until around the beginning of January.

All locations - often cemeteries - will be published in good time on www.gesundinsleben.at. A "box seat" in Innsbruck's Maria-Theresien-Straße has already been chosen as a symbol of remembrance of a life that was too short.