Garden of Grief

The purpose of Sorgens Have (Garden of Grief) is to develop new practice-oriented grief communities in cemeteries to support men aged 50+ who have lost a loved one. Men in this group are among the most vulnerable when dealing with loss, yet many do not find existing conversation-based groups relevant and, therefore, do not engage with them. This project explores cemeteries as spaces where men can process their grief according to their preferences and terms. Experience shows that men often thrive better in communities centred around practical activities. The cemetery can serve as a place where hands-on engagement, nature, atmosphere, and community help soothe, heal, and comfort, allowing grief to become manageable without words needing to be the central focus. Professor Brian L. Due from the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics, University of Copenhagen, leads the project. It is being developed in collaboration with Helsingør Diocese, the Danish National Center for Grief, the Forum for Men's Health Denmark and the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen.