Pall (funeral)

A pall (also Baar cloth coffin cover, coffin cloth ) is the cloth that is draped in the mortuary and the funeral procession / cortege on the bier.

The cloth was under generally respected by the congregation and could be borrowed from this for a fee or it was produced by a professional organization provided (eg the guild ) of the deceased. It was usually embroidered black velvet or other fabric black and often with a cross and other religious and / or professional symbols. For mourners it was a special honor to be among those who hold the pall (hence engl. Pallbearer ) were allowed. It was reported about Ludwig van Beethoven's funeral: " eight conductor held the pall. "

At funerals of nobles often served as a banner pall; at the funeral with military honors at the state funeral and it is to this day a flag.

In Germany there is state practice at official funeral of the covenant, that the coffin with the federal service flag, often in the format of 220 cm by 330 cm, is completely covered with the black stripes of the tricolor has to lie at the level of the head of the deceased.

In Austria still exist official Bahr cloths, such as those used at state funerals. The pall of the Republic of Austria, the last used at the funeral for the late former Mayor of the City of Vienna Helmut Zilk, thereby differs from a normal service flag of the Federation by the fact that it is decorated with an embroidered vertically instead of horizontally mounted Federal eagle, which in itself the design from that of the ordinary service flag is different. The same applies to the pall of the city of Vienna.