Mortuary Cards

On the website of the Rijkheydt in Heerlen we read about the origin of the mortuary card:
The mortuary card has traditionally been a Roman Catholic tradition. This card is handed out at a funeral as a reminder of the deceased. It is also called prayer card, devotional picture or memorial card. The tradition comes from the Netherlands, that is, the current Netherlands and Belgium.
As can be seen below, this tradition is also known in the neighboring German Rhineland. They usually contain a short sketch of the deceased’s life, a picture, a poem or a piece of prose.