Vienna Cemetery Now Offers LEGO Set, So You Can Recreate Funerals

This gem is from Sad and Useless Humor Blog. Parents may not be too thrilled with with the newest incarnation of Legos, but as a childless uncle, I’m there. Unfortunately, all my nieces and nephews are a little old to play with Legos.

This LEGO set featuring a crematorium furnace and coffin was designed to make the topic of death approachable for children. The bizarre toy collection was launched by Vienna Funeral Museum that showcases 300 funeral items such as death masks, coffins and hearses. It is located on the grounds of Vienna’s Central Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in the world with over 330,000 graves.

Look beyond the toy, for a moment. Consider all the moving parts that had to mesh in order to reach the result. First somebody in the Vienna Funeral Museum (VFM) had to think this up. I’m guessing that the originator then had to sell the idea to a committee. The VFM then had to contact the manufacturer of LEGO toys and sell them on the project. Next LEGO designers, mold makers, and manufacturing specialists had to implement the concept. Then marketing and public relations folks had to design a sales campaign. Finally, retailers had to make the toy available to the public.

One particular song is stuck in my mind as I read this story.

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day

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