March 2025 – Deep Dive into Death Records

In March we took a look at funeral guidelines and regulations, everything from a quiet burial to the so-called donkey’s burial. We’re using the same volumes as in February and November, so look there for links to the respective Kirchenrecht books.

Apologies for some of the strange formatting – the WordPress template is rather unforgiving and doesn’t allow multiple indents for bullet lists.

Brief History of Funerals

• Earliest recorded evidence predates Homo Sapiens and goes back 300,000 years
• Funeral customs tend to have 5 characteristics: significant symbols, gathered community, ritual action, cultural heritage, and transition of the dead body
• Christian burials occur on consecrated ground; burial rather than cremation because of belief in the resurrected body
• Ancient Egyptians were buried in shallow earth pits with few grave goods, later in coffins and sarcophagi with special grave goods
• In ancient Greece, two coins (Charon’s penny) were placed on the eyes of the dead to ensure safe transport to the realm of the dead
• Until the Middle Ages, burials mostly took place in churchyards surrounding churches, with a few exceptions for privileged graves (purchasable status symbols) directly in the church
• Legal regulations for burials developed during the Enlightenment for health reasons; state took over from church
• Laws stipulate compulsory burial and specify the permissible forms of burial 
• Burial is paid by the estate of the deceased, or heirs
• It is illegal in Germany to disrupt a funeral ceremony, with punishment up to 3 years in prison

Terminology

• Beisetzung – interment, as in placing of an urn, used since 15^th century
• Bestattung – burial in the earth, used since the 17^th century but dates back to 12^th century, to give the remains a place to rest; regionally, placing the coffin in a memorial chapel
• Begraben or Begräbnis – early form for burial, usually used with Christian doctrine
• Beerdigung – burial in the earth, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” used primarily in religious context; regionally, transporting the coffin to the grave 2 days later
• Leiche – regional term for funeral ceremony
• Begängnis – regional term for burial

Death Entries in the Church Register – Baden

• General form –
  • Includes first and last name, and if not from his own household, the name of the father, relative, or foster father where he lived Includes age, day and hour of death, day and hour of burial, last illness For deaths of people born in the parish, the death date is also to be noted in the baptism register, e.g. † 1 April 1803
  • Bastards are recorded the same way as other children, but the words “A bastard” will be entered under their name
  • For widows, or wives who have had more than one husband, the names of all their husbands will be mentioned, as noted in example 4
• Special cases –
  • Deaths by accidents are to be noted in the margin, and then described in the column as noted in example 3For women who died in childbirth or shortly thereafter, this is to be noted as the illness (cause of death)
  • Stillborn children are not entered in the death register, but only in the baptism register

Funeral Guidelines in Baden

• Beerdigung, Begrabung, Begräbnis = burial
• Funeral service includes ringing of church bells, singing, procession from deceased’s home to cemetery, eulogy, prayer
• Corrupt or immoral people cannot be denied funeral rites
• Suicides may have a Christian burial if they otherwise led a decent life but fell into depression or mental disturbance
• Alms for the poor should be collected at the gate to the cemetery
• Anatomical studies are to be performed between 15 October and 14 February on the corpses of:
  • non-truly melancholic suicides
  • convicted criminals
  • foreign prostitutes who die in the country during childbirth or in confinement
  • criminals who die in prison
  • criminals who die while committing theft or other crimes
  • true vagrants who die in the country
• Funerals for children
  • Stillborn infants are buried in silence
• As of 1753, no burials were to take place in the church
  • Under 1 year are performed by the midwife and godparents, without the pastor, with the ringing of one bell, and silent prayer at the gravesite
  • From 1 year to school-leaving, with a Parentation (funeral sermon)
  • After school-leaving, will be handled as for an adult
• As of 1763, some were still occurring with dispensation and a 50 fl. fee
• As of 1805, no exceptions are allowed
• Corpse inspection is required to prevent burials of still living people
• Transition from life to death has 3 distinct stages:
  • Death of the animal life: general weakness, lack of brain function, head and limbs sink, eyelids close, mouth opens
  • Lack of vegetable life: breathing stops, heart, pulse, circulation cannot be detected, animal warmth disappears gradually, bodily secretions stop, insensitivity to strong stimuli
  • Loss of physical life: the body gradually starts to decompose, which is the only true sign of death
• Characteristics of rigor mortis:
  • Corpse odor ( a very offensive, putrid smell), which comes from general decomposition and not from individual parts of the body
  • So-called death spots (brownish, bluish, or especially ugly green spots)
  • Bloating of the body, whereby the entire body is swollen
  • Soft, mushy texture of the fleshy parts

Instructions to sextons, midwives, gravediggers, caretakers, and watchers of the dead for handling the deceased before burial

1. The eyes of the recently deceased should not be pressed shut roughly or forcibly, nor should the hands be laboriously folded together, much less should the lower jaw be pressed tightly against the upper jaw or even bound with a bandage.
2. The face should not be covered with heavy, wet cloths or the abdomen weighed down with stones, iron, etc.
3. The recently deceased must lie peacefully and undisturbed on their bed for at least four hours, and their head should not be raised from the pillow. After four or more hours, they should be moved to a room with a moderate temperature.
4. They should be placed gently and in such a way that their head is higher, or at least never lower, than the rest of the body.
5. If a qualified doctor or surgeon or any other expert assures that the disease of the deceased was highly contagious, e.g. putrid fever, typhus, malignant dysentery, very serious smallpox, etc., the body may be moved without hesitation sooner from its resting place.
6. If the deceased was a pregnant woman, or someone who became lifeless during childbirth, a midwife must be called immediately to try to save the fetus.
7. In all cases where the deceased person had been well beforehand and suddenly, or after a slight and short illness, became lifeless, a doctor or surgeon must be called immediately.
8. If the deceased was known to have suffered from epilepsy, labor pains, or severe cramps, or had been prone to frequent fainting spells, or had been struck by a stroke or lightning, or had died during a severe hemorrhage, this must be noted.
9. If there is strong suspicion that the deceased person died from poison, suffocation from smoke, or some other violent cause, the same procedures should be followed.
10. A doctor or surgeon should be called if the supposed deceased still has a fresh, red, non-pale corpse color, still has a strong shine in the eyes, and that the limbs are still flexible, or if there is even any sign of heartbeats on the left side of the chest or a sighing breath is detected.
11. In cases 7–10, where the doctor or surgeon cannot be called immediately due to the location of their residence or other reasons, one should turn to the nearest barber or, at the very least, have a sensible person from the local area perform the following tests.
12. To determine whether there is any life left in a recently deceased person (except for #5), one should carefully observe the body.
    • A saucer or a slightly deeper plate filled with water is placed on the chest of the corpse. If, after some time (with complete stillness and calmness around the corpse and in the room), the water on its surface moves, there is reason to suspect some remaining breathing, and therefore life.
    • A well-dried mirror is held in front of the mouth. If the mirror fogs up, it suggests that breathing is still occurring.
    • The same applies if a feather, placed in front of the mouth, moves.
13. If there is any reason to suspect that some life remains (see #11), an immediate request must be made for a doctor or surgeon. Until their arrival, the following methods for resuscitation can be applied:
    • Shout the deceased’s name loudly into their ear.
    • Repeatedly splash cold water on the face.
    • Hold strong vinegar or smelling salts (if available) under the nose and apply it to the temples.
    • Rub the soles of the feet vigorously with woolen cloths.
    • Drop water from a height onto the exposed breast of the lifeless person, drop by drop.
    • During all these attempts, the head of the corpse should be raised slightly.
14. When the time for lying still (#3) has passed, and the body is moved from the deathbed to another location, this must be done with great caution, so that the body is adequately covered, and that the head is not carried lower than the feet.
15. Every corpse must be thoroughly inspected at least three times daily until burial, and kept under watch at night.
16. Once the body has been placed in the coffin, taking care to follow the precautions outlined in #3 and #4, the coffin should only be closed shortly before the burial. It must be reopened just before lowering the coffin into the grave, and a final check should be made to see if there is any noticeable change in the body, unless the person died from an infectious disease as noted in #5, or in the summer if the body was transported a considerable distance, e.g., half an hour away across the field. In such cases, extra precautions should be taken when sealing the coffin in the home.

Hours for burial

• In the summer, no later than 6am in the morning, or before 6pm in the evening
• In the winter, no later than 8am in the morning, or before sundown in the evening
• No one shall be buried within 48 hours of death, except during epidemics, or for illnesses that cause rapid decomposition
• Under no circumstances can someone be buried in less than 24 hours
• If an earlier burial is required, extra care is required to ensure that death has occurred, and requires certification by a doctor or  surgeon; this should be noted in the margin of the entry in the death register
• If a body shows no signs of decomposition within 48 hours, a doctor or surgeon must be notified and the burial delayed

Graves

• Graves should be arranged in orderly rows, and not out of sequence
• Family plots cannot be surrounded with walls without considerable justification; dispensation is required from the Consistory, and a tax will be assessed
• Graves for adults should be 6-7 Schuh (feet) deep; for children 4-5 Schuh
• Previously, all deaths had to be reported to the district office and the Physikat within 3 days; however, now only these reports are necessary:
  • contagious diseases
  • sudden deaths of childbearing women
  • other sudden deaths, especially when the circumstances suggest violence
  • stillborn children
  • death of pastors, schoolmasters, their widows, and children eligible for a pension, bailiffs and overseers to the district office
  • death of a clerical or secular servant for the intelligence report
  • death of a bastard for accounting purposes

Curtailing extravagance:

• No funeral meals are allowed; 15fl. fine
• But hospitality can be extended to relatives who have traveled far to attend the funeral
• Coffins should be made of fir, without ornamentation, only painted yellow
• Burial clothes of the deceased should not be more expensive than simple linen, without adornment or trimming
• Unmarried individuals should not have wreaths placed on their graves
• For funeral processions in cities, only one carriage should be used, except in the case of a child’s body, where one carriage carries the coffin, and another is used for the clergy, etc.
  • Flowers for the pall bearers or drivers in horse-drawn funerals, as well as wearing mourning clothes by servants, and the decoration of the carriage, rooms, and church pews, etc., are completely forbidden

Grief regulations:

• Children should grieve for their parents, step-parents, in-laws, grandparents, great-grandparents, and spouses for each other no longer than 6 months, and only deeply mourn for the first 6 weeks
• Parents may grieve for their children who are over 14 years old, siblings for each other, and for a brother’s wife or a sister’s husband, as well as for an aunt or uncle for 3 months of regular mourning
• Parents should wear half-mourning clothes no longer than 6 weeks for their children under 14 years old, siblings for a brother’s or sister’s child or grandchild over 14 years old, siblings for each other if the deceased is 14
• For all other blood relatives and in-laws, as well as for the children of siblings, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews (if they are under 14), no mourning should be worn. This prohibition extends to children under 7 years old.

Funeral fines

• A funeral organized with fewer expenses, yet conducted in a proper manner, is permitted.
• Violation of these regulations by incurring greater expenses will be punished with a fine amounting to double the excess cost, a quarter of which will go to the informer

Cemetery – Friedhof or Gottesacker

• • If possible, the cemetery should be outside the town
• Cemeteries should not be misused as pastures or common pathways
• Cemeteries should be enclosed and secured by the congregation, kept clean and well-maintained, with the oversight of the cemetery assigned to the parish priest and local authorities.
• Inquiries should be made at the sacrilege courts regarding any violations
• The right of asylum in church, cemetery, or monastery has been abolished

Church bells

• • The sexton in cities, or in rural areas the schoolteacher, is responsible for ringing the church bells
• At 4 in the morning, it is the night watchman’s job
• Ringing of the bells for a deceased nobleman is up to local custom; any fees are paid by the town coffers, not the noble family
• Bells should not be used to ring in feast days or the new year

Death Entries in the Church Register – Hessen

• Must contain –

1. First and last name, occupation of the deceased

• For children, the names of the parents
• For wives, the name of the husband
• For widows, the name of the deceased husband

2. Date of birth– year, month, day in numbers
3. Place of residence and death
4. Time of death – year, month, day, and hour in numbers
5. Religion, if not evangelical
6. Time of burial – year, month, day, and hour in letters
7. Place of burial
8. Name and signature of the presiding pastor
9. For people who were born in the parish, the death and burial dates must be noted in the margin of their baptism entry

Funeral Guidelines in Hessen

• The church is obligated to observe state regulations regarding marital status, health considerations,  and the handling of corpses
• Every death must be reported to the registrar of the district in which the death occurred no later than the following weekday, and will be recorded in the death register in the prescribed form by the registrar.
• The burial may only take place after this entry has been made.
• No burial may take place without written permission granted by the local police authority  after
  • 1) receiving a death certificate from a doctor or medical examiner, or from the required local coroner,
  • 2) the death has been recorded in the death register by the registrar.
• It is prohibited to bury a body in places other than public cemeteries or in privately approved family burial grounds
• Prior to entry in the death register, permission for burial may only be granted by the local police authority in urgent cases.
• Family burials are allowed for those of noble families in their family churches, where such traditions are maintained
• During epidemics, public (church) funerals may be completely or partially prohibited by the authorities for certain communities
• To transport a body from one place to another requires permission of the competent health authorities
  • Permission will never be granted for someone who has died of a contagious disease
  • The corpse must be placed in a double coffin
• Violations of police orders regarding premature burials are punishable by fines up to 150 marks or imprisonment
• Before proceeding with the burial, the officiating clergyman must verify whether the death has been recorded in the death register
• Certain corpses must be delivered to the anatomy department of the University of Giessen according to the law of April 16, 1877, concerning the use of corpses for scientific research purposes:
  • 1. those of persons sentenced to death
  • 2. prisoners from the state penitentiary
  • 3. prisoners from prisons, if
    • a) in addition to their prison sentence, they have lost their civil rights or the ability to hold public office
    • b) their burial must be at public expense
  • 4. inmates of the workhouse in Dieburg
  • 5. persons who died while serving a sentence and who, after completing their sentence, are to be transferred to the state police authority, or whose burial must be at public expense
  • 6. suicides whose burial must be at public expense
  • 7. unknown persons who died or were found dead in the country, if their burial must be at public expense, unless there are special circumstances that make it inappropriate to deliver the body to the university
  • 8. public prostitutes under police supervision
• 9. persons who died in public hospitals and must be buried at public expense and are not entitled to a free burial paid by endowments or personal contributions to the hospital’s funds
  • Bodies of patients from the state asylum in Heppenheim and the state hospital in Hofheim are exempt
  • After the bodies have been used for scientific purposes, they must be properly buried

Funeral ceremony:

• Procession of the body from the place of death to the cemetery with bell ringing, and, if possible, the presence of schoolchildren
• Singing at the grave
• Sermon in the church or eulogy, often including a reading of the deceased’s personal details
• Prayer and blessing
• Funeral sermons or speeches should primarily focus on comforting and edifying the survivors
• Local customs apply re number of bells, who rings, start and end of ringing, cost, etc.
  • Sterbeläuten (Ausläuten) – ringing church bells at the time of death
  • Grabgeläute – ringing church bells at the funeral (graveside)
• Children may sing at the graveside, conducted by the schoolmaster (if parents allow)
• School lessons should not be skipped to attend a funeral, so singing should take place between 11am and 1pm, or after the close of afternoon lessons
• Where this is not possible, the afternoon school session can be moved up or delayed by an hour to accommodate the funeral
• Notable exceptions must be approved by the Kreis school commission and school administration
• The choice of songs at public burials falls to the schoolmaster, based on an approved list by the pastor
• Choral societies and other clubs shall not carry their group flags in the funeral procession, unless they are covered with mourning crape

Silent funeral ceremony:

• For children who have not yet reached school age or those who have not yet been confirmed
• For unbaptized children, a clerical act is allowed for the comfort of the parents (child is buried by parents and friends)
• People who have lived publicly immoral and godless lives and died unrepentant, or who have completely distanced themselves from the church community are denied Christian burial
• Excommunicated persons are buried without church accompaniment, outside the churchyard, perhaps on a piece of their own property
• Since cemeteries have become communal, there can no longer be a refusal of burial in the cemetery (dishonorable burial)
• Those who died by suicide (local customs prevail)
• When burying Catholics, the involvement of the Protestant clergyman is not generally prohibited, but should respect Catholic rites

Cemeteries:

• Old cemeteries in the churchyard are owned by the churches or the congregation
• New cemeteries established outside the town belong to municipalities, which are responsible for maintenance
• Cemetery sections can be set aside proportionally for different faiths, each with a separate entrance
• French decree of Nov 1789: “All properties of any kind, belonging both to religious orders and to dioceses, parishes, cathedral chapters, and seminaries…are placed under the control of the nation”

General Rules for the Church Register – Sachsen

• All burials—whether public or private—must be officially recorded in the parish register, including suicides. Special attention must be given to plague victims

Funeral Guidelines in Sachsen

• People are buried either in the Gottesacker or in the church(yard); no other places are permitted
• In cities, the Gottesacker is outside the gates; in villages, it is by the church, so it is called the Kirchhof
• The cemetery is surrounded by a wall, fence, and gates, so that no livestock can get in
• The parishioners are responsible for maintenance of the walls and other fixtures of the cemetery
• The church must maintain the cemetery in good condition, and notify the consistory when space begins to run out
• Two types of graves – earth burial, or tomb or crypt
• Adult graves must be at least 3 Ellen (about 1 yard) and 2 Ellen for children
• Any bones found while digging the grave should be reburied or taken to the ossuary
• Cities may employ designated gravediggers to maintain order
• In villages graves may be dug by the residents, e.g. neighbors, or in rotation, with the pastor and schoolmaster to oversee the process
• The grave digger cannot refuse to bury someone because of prejudice
• Outside the Kirchhof, the grave digger has no official obligations
• A grave register must be kept to show when and where the deceased have been buried
• The deceased will be buried in the customary order, without regard to their occupation or status
• Exceptions can be made for married couples, parents, and children who request to be buried together
• During a plague, graves must be made in a specific place in the cemetery at the proper depth
• If space is insufficient, a location outside the cemetery for the burial of plague victims must be selected and enclosed by the pastor and the authorities
• During a plague, no one may be buried in family burial plots in or near the church; all must be buried in the earth
• During a plague, a special gravedigger should be appointed
• Alms recipients should be encouraged to take this job, or lose their alms or even be exiled
• This should particularly apply to those who have become poor through their own fault or carelessness, as they might otherwise be regarded as unworthy of the alms
• People who have committed suicide to avoid punishment may not be buried in the cemetery
• If they were still under investigation, they will be buried in the farthest corner of the cemetery, without any grave marker
• Suicides who were known to be in a melancholic state will be buried in a separate place in the cemetery
• Cemeteries must be treated with respect, protected from any defacement, and kept clean
• If gravestones destroyed or mistreated, relatives can sue the offender for insult
• Pastors and church elders must seriously urge the deceased’s family to either repair or completely remove deteriorating or fallen gravestones within a specified period
• If no relatives of the deceased are alive, the gravestones can be removed immediately
• Some cities have crypts as well as earthen graves, which require special permission as well as a fee for burial there
• Walled graves require special permission and fees
• Family burial plots require special permission and fees; no unrelated body can be buried there
• It is no longer permitted to be buried inside a church
• Burials on private plots are not permitted without special dispensation

Time of burial

• In olden times, a body was buried within 12 hours
• Current law requires burial after 3 days or 72 hours, with the exception of contagious diseases
• If the death is unmistakable, or there are signs of decay, then burial may take place within 36-48 hours
• It is the duty of the Leichenabwäscherin  (corpse washer) and the pastor to see to the proper burial
• Each town has its own customs as to day of week for burials
• A burial can take place on weekdays, Sundays, and holidays, but not on days of penance
• The burial should take place between 12 and 1 or between 3 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon (except for silent burials)

Honorable [ehrlich] burial – can be normal or ceremonious

• Ceremonious includes ringing bells, participation of the pastor, singing, prayer, and funeral sermon, depending on the status of the deceased
  • The levels are usually an eighth, a quarter, a half, or the entire school, and church and school employees should not shirk their duties
  • Duties of the pastor include the collect and blessing, funeral sermon/eulogy in church or at the grave (no more than 15 minutes, with appropriate text chosen by survivors), thanks to the pallbearers 
  • The first three types of public burials are allowed for all citizens and country people who have lived a Christian life, for stillborn and unbaptized children, for the poor who have received Holy Communion, and for those found dead where suicide is unproven and unlikely
  • In villages, the pastor is not obliged to go farther than the third courtyard after the funeral
  • In cities, “blessed burials” are accompanied by no preacher, while “farewell burials” are accompanied by one preacher, and burials with sermons or speeches are often accompanied by several clergymen and schoolmasters
  • Pallbearers should be men from the same parish; in cities, according to local ordinances
  • Children and unmarried individuals, especially in the countryside, are carried by young men
  • In villages, at least one adult person from each household must attend the burial under penalty
  • In cities, the funeral procession follows the divisions of the districts or other subdivisions
  • Hymns may be selected by the survivors, or the pastor or cantor; funerals for the poor should have only one hymn
  • The poor, upon certification by their superiors, are buried without charge
  • When soldiers are buried in a civil manner, the usual fees for such burials must be paid
  • Their wives, children, and servants are always given the same type of burial
  • In military funerals conducted by commandos, the clergy receives no payment

Quiet burial (in der Stille) –

• Customs vary by time and place
• Can occur in the morning or evening hours, rarely during daytime
• Night burials occur in darkness with torches, accompanied only by the pastor and people who live in the house of the deceased
• It is up to the pastor whether anyone from the school goes with the deceased to the grave
• Secret burials are not permitted by law
• Occur during a plague or other contagious illnesses, e.g. measles, scarlet fever, etc.; clergy fees must be paid
• For stillborn children or those who die shortly after birth without baptism
• For illegitimate children if they were not legitimized
• For individuals who died by suicide due to melancholy, the decision rests with the consistory
• During wartime, extreme cold or heat, floods, and similar calamities, or for demonstrably poor and destitute individuals who receive a free burial
• Dispensations for quiet burials are generally given to anyone who asks
• Dispensation is necessary for the quiet burial of any stillborn child, illegitimate child, or child who died at a young age if the parents are not poor
• All fees for a silent burial must be paid as if it were a public funeral
• Those who disregard or abuse the laws for silent burials will be punished with retroactive payment of dispensation fees, additional costs, and penalties

Death of strangers–

• The death of a stranger must be reported to the preacher, who in turn must inform the authorities immediately
• The deceased can be buried in the cemetery of the parish where they passed away or in the parish to which they belonged during their lifetime
• If the surviving relatives wish to transport the body to their homeland, the pastor of the parish from which they wish to remove the body may not demand burial fees
• The family of the deceased retains the right to have the clergy and school of each parish through which the procession passes come to meet the body and accompany it
• If a person who died in a foreign place is to be buried there, then the funeral costs must be paid both at that location and in the person’s original parish
• If the deceased had two alternating residences—e.g.  in the city and in the countryside—or owned multiple properties, the burial fees should be divided between both parishes

Burial of non-Protestants–

• If members of other religious denominations die in a Protestant parish and do not have their own cemetery, they will be buried quietly and in a Christian manner in the local cemetery
• Jews and non-Christians, however, receive a separate burial site
• Members of other denominations may bury their dead in Protestant cemeteries and also use their churches, bells, equipment, choirs, and even large funeral processions

Dishonorable [unehrlich] burial

• The human dishonorable burial (aka dog’s burial) takes place in an area of the cemetery, known as the sinners’ plot for the following:
  • Heretics and all non-Christians
  • Those who were excommunicated or openly rejected the Word of God and the Sacraments
  • Beheaded criminals
  • Prisoners suspected of capital crimes
  • Suicides not due to melancholy, in cases of doubt
  • Duelists who died in combat
• The donkey dishonorable burial takes place for the following:
  • Deliberate suicides
  • Executed criminals convicted of a crime
• Carried out by the executioner and his assistants
• Executioners no longer have a right to the possessions of a suicide

Funeral Costs

• Funeral expenses are the responsibility of the heirs, or those legally obligated to support the deceased during their lifetime
• If neither exists, the state covers the costs
• If someone else covered the costs, they may claim reimbursement from the heirs
• If a burial is delayed or denied, the state intervenes to ensure timely burial
• In cases of bankruptcy, funeral costs are prioritized as the highest-class debts
• If the deceased leaves no estate, the poor relief fund covers the expenses
• The poor must be buried free of charge and clergy cannot demand payment from the poor relief fund or alms box

Handling of Corpses

• The law requires the appointment of Leichenweiber  (corpse washers) who must:
  • Ensure that the body remains in a warm room for 12 to 24 hours (depending on the season and weather)
  • Confirm that the person is truly dead, determine the cause of death, and check for signs of violence
  • Post-mortem examinations may only be performed after 24 hours, except in the case of pregnant women, where a Caesarean section must be performed immediately to save the child

Mourning and Funeral Feasts

• The police oversee mourning customs, ensuring extravagance is avoided:
  • Veils are only allowed for parents and children.
  • Servants who cared for the deceased may receive clothes or mourning symbols
  • Any excessive spending is fined (4 thaler for individuals, 10-20 thaler for large gatherings)
  • Only nobility in rural areas are permitted to host funeral banquets.
  • The hanging of wreaths for deceased children and young unmarried persons should not take place inside churches but rather in entrance halls
  • For individuals who died from infectious diseases, neither wreaths nor similar items should be kept or displayed
  • It is strictly forbidden to leave such bodies in open coffins for public viewing
  • Bodies of the deceased should not be placed inside the church or hall during the sermon nor be publicly exhibited

Grave robbery and exhumation

• Both the theft of corpses and the looting of the dead are explicitly forbidden by legal statutes
• Such crimes are punishable by fines, imprisonment, or forced labor in a correctional facility
• Exhumation is only permitted for significant reasons, e.g. suspicion that the person suffered an undetected fatal injury, was poisoned, or was buried alive
• In the latter case, any private individual may open the grave without prior permission if they believe the person’s life could still be saved

Basic Vocabulary – Death

Tod or Todt = death

ist gestorben or starb = died

begraben, beerdigt, or bestattet = buried

Leichenpredigt = funeral sermon

auf hiesigem Kirchhofe mit Geläute begraben = buried in the local cemetery with ringing of bells

auf hiesigem Kirchhofe still beerdigt or in der Stille beerdigt

mit einer Abdankung begraben = buried with a funeral service

Kind(er)bett Kind = child who dies within 4-6 weeks of birth

Sterberegister

Older death registers generally contain few details. Around the early 1800s, a columnar format for church registers was adopted in many places. The death register usually contains some variation of the following:

Zahl der Gestorbenen – [Running] number of the deceased

Namen der Gestorbenen – Name of the deceased

Stand, Charakter, Aufenthaltsort, Religion – Occupation, character, residence, religion

Eltern – Parents

Ehegatten – Spouse 

Alter  – Age

Krankheit oder zufällige Todesart – Illness or type of death

Ort und Zeit des Todes – Place and time of death

Ort und Zeit der Beerdigung – Place and time of burial

Seitenzahl des Famil.-Reg. – Page number in the Family Register