Herent (24brussels) – Herent has officially joined the Digital Cemetery project, part of the Flemish government’s initiative to enhance online accessibility, mapping four local cemeteries in 2025, reports 24brussels.
According to VRT News, residents and visitors in Herent, located in the province of Flemish Brabant, can now utilize the new Digital Cemetery website to locate graves. The online mapping system allows users to find specific burial sites across the four cemeteries within the municipality, accessible via smartphones, tablets, or computers.
Officials have stated that entering a name in the search bar enables users to quickly discover a grave’s location. The map also features a reverse mechanism; clicking on a grave reveals the name and relevant details of the deceased.
How is Herent making its cemeteries digital in 2025?
Alderman for Civil Affairs Maarten Forceville (CD&+) emphasized that the Digital Cemetery harmonizes technology with the act of remembrance. He highlighted that this platform not only simplifies grave searching but also ensures the preservation of burial records for future reference.
“Now you can find someone’s grave in the cemetery with just a few clicks of the mouse.”
Forceville further stated,
“We want to make everything clear and transparent.”
Historically, individuals faced lengthy searches to locate a specific grave, but the new system allows them to pinpoint locations within seconds using digital devices.
The municipality plans to enhance the website’s functionality in the future. One upcoming update is the inclusion of photographs of the graves, assisting users in identifying precise sites during their searches. Additionally, there are intentions to install an information column at the entrance of each cemetery, providing directions and access to grave names.
The Digital Cemetery initiative commenced in 2018 under the Flemish government’s digital plan to improve public information accessibility. Initial local tests began in 2019 when several municipalities piloted online mapping of their cemeteries.
This system enabled individuals to search for graves by name and ascertain their precise locations on a digital map. Over the years, participation grew, and by 2023, the service had expanded significantly throughout Flanders.