17. Children
Children's mortality was considerably lower at the turn of the 20th century compared to the previous centuries, while the number of children who were stillborn at home and in hospitals increased. Stillborn children were handed over from the hospital to the gravedigger, who buried them. If the family had their own grave, they found a place in it, if not, he buried them at a designated part of the cemetery.
In the past, children were baptized extremely fast due to the fear they would die before they were baptized and thus could not be buried with a Christian ritual. According to the Christian doctrine, anyone who was present at birth, such as a midwife, could baptize the child with water.
Before 1960, deaths were determined in the field by coroners who often helped themselves with various devices: for example, with a mirror that was placed before the mouth and nose of the deceased which would bedew in case of an exhale.
