Latest news with #Cemetery
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israeli strike damages graves and destroys mosque in Deir el-Balah, Gaza
NewsFeed Israeli strike damages graves and destroys mosque in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Palestinians say even the dead are no longer safe in Gaza after a mosque and cemetery were hit by an Israeli strike in Deir el-Balah.
National Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Jim Morrison bust stolen from his Paris grave in 1988 has been found
Article content PARIS — Police have found a bust of Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly four decades ago from the Paris grave that has long been a place of pilgrimage for fans of the legendary Doors singer and poet. Article content Article content The bust taken in 1988 from Pere-Lachaise cemetery was found during an unrelated investigation conducted by a financial anti-corruption unit, Paris police said in an Instagram post Monday. Article content There was no immediate word on whether the bust would be returned to the grave or what other investigation might take place. Article content Article content Morrison, the singer of Doors classics including Light My Fire, Break on Through and The End, was found dead in a Paris bathtub at age 27 in 1971. Article content He was buried at Pere-Lachaise, the city's cemetery that is the final resting place of scores of artists, writers and other cultural luminaries including Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein and Edith Piaf. Article content The 135-kilogram bust made by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin was added to the grave in 1981 for the 10th anniversary of the singer's death. Article content 'I think it would be incredible if they put the bust back onto where it was and it would attract so many more people, but the cemetery wouldn't even be able to hold that many people,' Paris tour guide Jade Jezzini told The Associated Press. 'The amount of people who would rush in here just to see the bust to take pictures of it, it would be incredible.' Article content Article content Known for his dark lyrics, wavy locks, leather pants, theatrical stage presence and mystical manner, Morrison has inspired generations of acolytes who congregate at his grave to reflect and sometimes to party, including a major gathering for the 50th anniversary of his death. The site has often been covered with flowers, poetic graffiti and liquor bottles left in tribute. Article content He was undergoing a cultural renaissance when the bust was stolen in the late 1980s, which peaked with the 1991 Oliver Stone film The Doors, in which Val Kilmer, who died in April, played Morrison. Article content Article content London artist Sam Burcher recently returned to the now more subdued grave site that she first visited 40 years ago when the sculpture of Morrison was still in place. Article content 'The bust was much smaller than all of these grand tombs. It was very modest, so I was quite surprised by that,' she told the AP. 'But the other thing was the atmosphere, it was buzzing. There were people partying, smoking, music, dancing, and then I brought strawberries and kind of gave them out to everyone … it was just such an amazing experience.'
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bust of Doors singer Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly 40 years ago has been recovered
Police have found a bust of Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly four decades ago from the Paris grave that has long been a place of pilgrimage for fans of the legendary Doors singer and poet. The bust taken in 1988 from Père-Lachaise cemetery was found during an unrelated investigation conducted by a financial anti-corruption unit, Paris police said in an Instagram post Monday. There was no immediate word on whether the bust would be returned to the grave or what other investigation might take place. Morrison, the singer of Doors classics including 'Light My Fire,' 'Break on Through,' and 'The End,' was found dead in a Paris bathtub at age 27 in 1971. He was buried at Père-Lachaise, the city's cemetery that is the final resting place of scores of artists, writers and other cultural luminaries including Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein and Edith Piaf. The 300-pound bust made by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin was added to the grave in 1981 for the 10th anniversary of the singer's death. 'I think it would be incredible if they put the bust back onto where it was and it would attract so many more people, but the cemetery wouldn't even be able to hold that many people,' Paris tour guide Jade Jezzini told The Associated Press. 'The amount of people who would rush in here just to see the bust to take pictures of it, it would be incredible.' Known for his dark lyrics, wavy locks, leather pants, theatrical stage presence and mystical manner, Morrison has inspired generations of acolytes who congregate at his grave to reflect and sometimes to party, including a major gathering for the 50th anniversary of his death. The site has often been covered with flowers, poetic graffiti and liquor bottles left in tribute. He was undergoing a cultural renaissance when the bust was stolen in the late 1980s, which peaked with the 1991 Oliver Stone film 'The Doors,' in which Val Kilmer, who died in April, played Morrison. London artist Sam Burcher recently returned to the now more subdued grave site that she first visited 40 years ago when the sculpture of Morrison was still in place. 'The bust was much smaller than all of these grand tombs. It was very modest, so I was quite surprised by that,' she told the AP. 'But the other thing was the atmosphere, it was buzzing. There were people partying, smoking, music, dancing, and then I brought strawberries and kind of gave them out to everyone ... it was just such an amazing experience.' Morrison cofounded the Doors in Los Angeles in 1965 with Ray Manzarek. Robby Krieger and John Densmore joined soon after. The band and its frontman burned brightly but briefly, releasing albums including 'The Doors' 'Strange Days," and 'Morrison Hotel, whose The California site that gave that album its name and cover image was seriously damaged in a fire last year. After their final album, 1971's 'L.A. Woman,' Morrison moved to Paris. His cause of death was listed as heart failure, though no autopsy was performed as none was required by law. Disputes and myths have surrounded the death and added to his mystique.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Bust of Doors singer Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly 40 years ago has been recovered
PARIS (AP) — Police have found a bust of Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly four decades ago from the Paris grave that has long been a place of pilgrimage for fans of the legendary Doors singer and poet. The bust taken in 1988 from Père-Lachaise cemetery was found during an unrelated investigation conducted by a financial anti-corruption unit, Paris police said in an Instagram post Monday. There was no immediate word on whether the bust would be returned to the grave or what other investigation might take place. Morrison, the singer of Doors classics including 'Light My Fire,' 'Break on Through,' and 'The End,' was found dead in a Paris bathtub at age 27 in 1971. He was buried at Père-Lachaise, the city's cemetery that is the final resting place of scores of artists, writers and other cultural luminaries including Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein and Edith Piaf. The 300-pound bust made by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin was added to the grave in 1981 for the 10th anniversary of the singer's death. 'I think it would be incredible if they put the bust back onto where it was and it would attract so many more people, but the cemetery wouldn't even be able to hold that many people,' Paris tour guide Jade Jezzini told The Associated Press. 'The amount of people who would rush in here just to see the bust to take pictures of it, it would be incredible.' Known for his dark lyrics, wavy locks, leather pants, theatrical stage presence and mystical manner, Morrison has inspired generations of acolytes who congregate at his grave to reflect and sometimes to party, including a major gathering for the 50th anniversary of his death. The site has often been covered with flowers, poetic graffiti and liquor bottles left in tribute. He was undergoing a cultural renaissance when the bust was stolen in the late 1980s, which peaked with the 1991 Oliver Stone film 'The Doors,' in which Val Kilmer, who died in April, played Morrison. London artist Sam Burcher recently returned to the now more subdued grave site that she first visited 40 years ago when the sculpture of Morrison was still in place. 'The bust was much smaller than all of these grand tombs. It was very modest, so I was quite surprised by that,' she told the AP. 'But the other thing was the atmosphere, it was buzzing. There were people partying, smoking, music, dancing, and then I brought strawberries and kind of gave them out to everyone ... it was just such an amazing experience.' Morrison cofounded the Doors in Los Angeles in 1965 with Ray Manzarek. Robby Krieger and John Densmore joined soon after. The band and its frontman burned brightly but briefly, releasing albums including 'The Doors' 'Strange Days,' and 'Morrison Hotel, whose The California site that gave that album its name and cover image was seriously damaged in a fire last year. After their final album, 1971's 'L.A. Woman,' Morrison moved to Paris. His cause of death was listed as heart failure, though no autopsy was performed as none was required by law. Disputes and myths have surrounded the death and added to his mystique.
RNZ News
07-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Porirua City Council looks to find family of 1800 people in unmarked graves
A photograph shows Porirua Hospital in the early 1900s. Photo: Supplied / Porirua City Council Porirua City Council is hoping to find family members of more than 1800 former hospital patients who died in care and are buried in unmarked graves. As part of the Inquiry into Abuse in Care, the government set up a fund for headstones for patients around the country who lay in unmarked graves. Porirua was planning a memorial to those patients buried without a headstone. The Porirua Lunatic Asylum, which later became Porirua Hospital, opened in 1887. It was the biggest asylum in the country - at its height in the 1960s it had more than 2000 patients and staff and covered just over 400 hectares of land. It closed in the 1990s. The city cemeteries manager Daniel Chrisp said Porirua Cemetery opened in 1895 - right next door to the asylum - and had a contract to bury patients. Most of the unmarked graves were here - with about another 100 at Whenua Tapu Cemetery. Together, Porirua had the highest tally of unmarked graves in the country. For these patients, the hospital was their last known address. Chrisp said the proximity of the cemetery and the stigma of mental illness meant many patients were laid to rest without a headstone. "The sad history of people in care was that you were shunned if you were admitted to a mental hospital and families often forgot about you as well," he said. "So when the patient passed away, there was very likely no family ... and no money for a headstone." The council had released a list of people who were known to be patients and who did not have a headstone. Chrisp said the council was keen to hear from families who had identified relatives on their family tree who may be among the buried, so they can have a say in the memorial. "We want the project to be informed as much as possible by family members so that whatever we do to restore patients' mana and dignity is what the families want." The shape of the memorial was yet to be decided but Chrisp expected it would include the name of every patient. "It's a significant and special project and it's an honour to be part of restoring that mana and dignity for the deceased," he said. "They may not be here any more but the least we can do is try to remember them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
