Someone has died
Has the person died at home?
Then call the family doctor.
The person did nothave a family doctor?
Or you cannotreach the family doctor?
Then call this number immediately:

116 117

You can call this number to ask for a doctor.
A doctor will come.
Or a doctor will come.
The doctor will issue a death certificate.
Then you call a funeral director (a funeral home).

You need a funeral director.
These people then take care of the funeral.

A funeral is often a celebration.
During the ceremony, a dead person is laid in the ground.

In Germany, you have to register a burial.
This is done by the family of the dead person.
Or a funeral home does it.

There are different types of burial.
For example

• Burial in the ground
  In an earth burial, the dead person is placed in a coffin in the ground.
• Fire burial
• In a fire burial, the dead person is cremated.
  The ashes are placed in an urn.

The ashes of the dead person must also be placed in a cemetery.
Or in a cemetery forest (forest cemetery).
That's what the law says.
The law is called: cemetery obligation.
There is one exception:
The ashes of the dead person can also be scattered into the sea.

Who has to take care of the burial?
This is precisely defined.

The burial must be taken care of in this order:

• Spouse or (hard word:) registered partner,
• children
• grandchildren
• parents
• grandparents
• brothers and sisters

The family fulfills the last wishes of the deceased.
Did the deceased person nothave a wish?
Then the family decides.

No one takes care of the burial?
Then the community takes care of the burial.

You have to pay for the burial?
You don't have enough money?
Then read on here:
Death: Who pays for the burial?

In Germany, funerals are generally registered by the next of kin or by a funeral home. Depending on the region, you can choose between

• Burial in the ground
• Cremation (forest burial, burial at sea, urn burial)
• Anonymous burial

A burial is possible at the earliest 48 hours after the death. Exceptions can be made by the responsible health authority for good cause. With the exception of burial at sea, all burials are subject to statutory cemetery requirements.

The burial must be arranged in the following order:

• Spouse or registered partner,
• children
• Grandchildren
• parents
• grandparents
• Siblings

If no one is responsible for the burial, the municipality responsible for the place of death or discovery must arrange the burial.