Traditional company Scholl celebrates 100 years - a look into the culture of mourning

Traditional company Scholl celebrates 100 years - a look into the culture of mourning

On August 24, 2025, a very special anniversary will be celebrated in Kirchhain: The funeral home and carpentry Scholl GmbH, now run by Karl-Heinz Ried and his wife Kerstin, looks back on 100 years of company history. The festive event takes place on the company premises at “In den Steinen 3 c” and begins at 12 p.m. “We are proud to continue our legacy,” emphasizes Karl-Heinz Ried, who took over the company at the beginning of 2024 from Gerhard Scholl, the third generation to run it.

The carpentry shop was founded in 1925 by Johannes Scholl on Schefferstrasse. After Johannes' early death, his wife Katharina and his son Hans-Heinz continued the business. Under Katharina's leadership, the company expanded to include a furniture store, which grew from a small shop window on Bahnhofstrasse to a large location on Römerstrasse. Hans-Heinz obtained his master's certificate at the age of just 23. In 2013 the carpentry shop moved its headquarters to “In den Steinen 3c”.

The changeable burial culture

The company currently employs five people who look after the mourners and organize the funerals. In addition to traditional earth burials, Scholl GmbH also offers innovative forms of burial such as cremations and burials at sea, repatriations abroad and burials in rest forests. The exhibition rooms at Mühlgasse 1 have urns, coffins and other accessories available.

As part of the anniversary celebration, various topics related to the culture of mourning will be addressed. At 1 p.m. there will be insights into the work of a funeral speaker, followed by a lecture on “Understanding grief” at 2 p.m. The event concludes at 3 p.m. with an overview of the changes in the culture of mourning.

Looking at the German funeral industry, it is interesting to know that only one in five coffins comes from domestic production, while the trend towards cheaper funerals is increasing rapidly. More and more people are choosing urn burials - around 75 percent of citizens prefer this form of burial. The burning questions that arise show how the industry has changed in recent years. For example, experts report a decline in traditional funerals and the importance of cemeteries. Many funeral homes are responding to this by offering alternative forms of burial that are more in line with the wishes of the mourners (Welt).

A fair commitment

Part of the proceeds from the anniversary event will benefit the St. Elisabeth Hospice, which underlines the family and human approach of Scholl GmbH. In an industry that is characterized by upheaval, the company shows that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand. Even if there are fewer graves in the cemeteries and new burial requests arise, individual care for mourners remains a central concern.

For those who would like to find out more about funeral institutes and their developments, further information can be found on Gedenkseiten.