This decision led to construction of private burial vaults in cemeteries and on private property, both by Catholics and Protestants alike. Although ecclesiastical burial of the Catholic high-ranking clergy within the church vaults was always a norm from the beginning, the vault entombment has proved to be very popular among the Protestant nobility and gentry of Nordic countries, along with predominantly Protestant areas of Germany.
This choice resulted in the construction of private burial chambers within cemeteries and on personal property, by both Catholics and Protestants. While it was customary for Catholic high-ranking clergy to be buried within church vaults from the start, vault entombment became highly favored among Nordic Protestant nobility and gentry, as well as predominantly Protestant regions in Germany.