How a Unimog supports grave diggers in Würzburg.

The Unimog for narrow paths.

There are around 28,000 active graves in the Würzburg main cemetery alone. In total, there are around 60,000 in Würzburg. The paths in the cemetery are narrow and often a challenge for the now heavy and modern equipment used by gravediggers.

“For three years, we searched intensively for a suitable vehicle for our needs. The Unimog proved to be the best in every respect. Above all, its narrow design, tight turning circle and almost endless versatility are ideal for us,” raves Kai-Uwe Köhler, who, together with his colleague Mirlind Nuhija, specified the configuration of the vehicle.

Crane and excavation work.

The special feature of the new implement carrier: the Hiab crane with excavator bucket mounted behind the cab. When extended to its maximum length of nine metres, it can still lift an impressive 680 kilogrammes. “We also take care of waste disposal at the city’s cemeteries. We use municipal mesh boxes for this purpose and exchange them with the Unimog.

The three-way tipping loading area with raised liftgate is also an important feature for the excavation work: “If we don’t have space to store the excavated material on site, we transport it away with the Unimog. After the burial, we then fill the grave again with the help of our mini-excavator.”

A single grave must have a depth of at least 1.80 metres, while a deep grave for the burial of two coffins one above the other must have a depth of 2.40 metres. The width is usually 80 centimetres. A conventional grave quickly accumulates around three and a half cubic metres of soil. No problem for the U 327 to piggyback this load. A total of five cameras assist with this, four of which are above each wheel arch, so that the Unimog doesn’t bump into anything.

Danger underground.

Köhler and his colleagues were very lucky a few years ago when they encountered a phosphorus grenade from the Second World War during excavation. “At first, we thought it was some kind of grave attachment, some kind of bow. Only after pulling on it and exposing it with shovels, we realised what danger we were suddenly exposed to. A company specialising in ordnance disposal then professionally removed and disposed of the grenade.”

A job that involves a lot of close contact.

How do you deal with the grief you encounter every day at your workplace, especially as gravediggers are also responsible for lowering the coffins? “We just don’t let it get to us, that way we can cope with it. However, it is always difficult when it’s a child’s funeral. This affects even the longest-serving gravedigger in our team.”