The cemeteries are actually old, but the headstones do not reflect that. I am not sure exactly how it works, but I know that families pay for the upkeep (almost rental like) of the graves. When they no longer pay, the spot becomes available to somebody else. Families can also bury people in the same grave. I think they may require a certain amount of time for the breakdown of one body before burying another. At least that is how it was when my mom was growing up in Westfalen.