The second Virtual Cemeteries Colloquium will take place on 20th November 2026 and the programme is now available.  The event is free to attend. Note that the event is entirely online using Zoom and will not be recorded. Please use this form to indicate which sessions you would like to attend. You will then be sent an invitation closer to the event.

We are delighted to announce that the plenary speaker this year is Christien Klaufus, University of Amsterdam.

The Necropolis at Stake: Latin American public cemeteries, deathcare, and social justice

Focusing on cities in Latin America, Christien Klaufus’ lecture starts from the observation that differences between public and private cemeteries and crematoriums are as pronounced as, for example, public-private divides in healthcare and education systems. Drawing on ethnographic research in six Latin American cities, Christien depicts the marginalization in and of public cemeteries. Due to a lack of reliable long-term public policies, many low-income groups across the region depend on self-help and mutual help in deathcare and spiritual needs. Christien specifically explores vernacular death practices, which are often considered polluting or dangerous by local officials, to unpack the idea of reciprocity beyond life, and of proximity between the living and the dead in the context of a search for dignity and social justice. Building on Jacques Lévy’s notion of cospatialité, she develops an ontological approach to marginalized death in urban Latin America.

Dr Klaufus is senior lecturer in Human Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her research addresses socio-spatial inequalities, cultural politics, and public policies, particularly in relation to deathcare.

If you have any questions about the event, please get in touch: julierugg36@gmail.com