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Death has been banned in Longyearbyen, Norway since 1950 due to bodies not decomposing properly in the local cemetery. Residents close to death must leave the town. Other unusual customs include a ban on cats and a requirement to remove shoes in every building.
You cannot meet your maker in the Norwegian city of Longyearbyen, located north of the Arctic Circle in the Svalbard archipelago. Not allowed. In fact, in this frigid town of about 2,000, death has been banned since 1950, when it was discovered that bodies buried in the local cemetery weren’t decomposing properly. Longyearbyen residents who are close to death have flown to the mainland to spend their last days.
No cats, no shoes, no death:
Scientists have studied some of the corpses preserved by the permafrost in Longyearbyen. Tissue from a male cadaver contained live samples of the influenza virus that killed millions of people around the world in 1918.
There are no aged care facilities on the island. In fact, there isn’t even a hospital, so expectant mothers head to the mainland weeks before their due date.
There are other unusual customs in Longyearbyen. Cats are banned to protect the Arctic bird population, and visitors are required to remove their shoes in every building they enter.
