Wegweiser Grief & Bereavement · Rights & Support Deutsch

📞 Advice and support services for grief

Who is responsible for what – and where can you get support quickly and usually free of charge?

TelefonSeelsorge (telephone counselling) Weißer Ring Bundesverband Trauerbegleitung VEID AGUS ANUAS

In brief

In Germany there is no single central body for "grief" – services are spread across various organisations, mostly supported by volunteers, some of which specialise in particular situations. This page brings together the most important nationwide contact points.

In acute danger to life, always call the emergency number 112 (ambulance/fire service) or 110 (police) first – the services named below do not replace an emergency call.

Step by step

  1. Acute emotional crisis, at any timeTelefonSeelsorge: free of charge and anonymous around the clock on 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116123, as well as via online counselling.
  2. After a crimeWeißer Ring, victims' helpline (Opfer-Telefon): free of charge nationwide on 116 006, daily from 7 am to 10 pm.
  3. Find grief support locallyApproach the Bundesverband Trauerbegleitung e.V., local hospice associations or welfare associations (Diakonie, Caritas, DRK, AWO).
  4. After the loss of a child (including miscarriage/stillbirth)Bundesverband Verwaiste Eltern und trauernde Geschwister in Deutschland e.V. (VEID).
  5. After a suicide in your circleAGUS e.V. – Angehörige um Suizid, nationwide self-help organisation with over 100 groups.
  6. After a homicide or missing-person caseANUAS e.V. – federal association for relatives of murder, homicide, suicide and missing-person cases.
  7. Legal questions about inheritance, pensions or funeral costsA specialist lawyer for inheritance or social law, Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre), or, for members, social associations such as VdK and SoVD.

Deadlines

no deadlines of its own
This overview page itself contains no application deadlines – the respective deadlines are on the corresponding topic pages
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Emergency numbers (112/110) are for acute danger to life – TelefonSeelsorge and crisis services do not replace an emergency call in an acute danger situation.
  • Many services are run by volunteers and availability varies by region – if in doubt, contact several services in parallel.
  • Not every service is responsible for every situation – the Weißer Ring, for example, specialises in victims of crime and their relatives, not in every bereavement in general.
  • This overview does not replace legal advice in an individual case.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

A decentralised landscape of independent providers

Unlike, for example, the Agentur für Arbeit (employment agency) or the Jobcenter, the grief and hospice landscape in Germany is organised predominantly by civil society: welfare associations, hospice associations and specialised self-help organisations provide most services, often with municipal or state-level funding rather than uniform nationwide financing. As a result, actual availability differs noticeably depending on where you live.

Nationwide phone numbers at a glance

Reachable free of charge and nationwide are in particular the TelefonSeelsorge (0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222, also on 116123) and the victims' helpline of the Weißer Ring (116 006, daily 7 am–10 pm). Both can be used anonymously and are bound by confidentiality.

Who is responsible
  • Depends on the concern – see overview above
Further reading
Grief support: forms and contact pointsSudden loss and crisis interventionGrief and bereavement: an overview

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Advice and support services for grief“?
Who is responsible for what – and where can you get support quickly and usually free of charge?
Which deadlines and figures matter?
no deadlines of its own: This overview page itself contains no application deadlines – the respective deadlines are on the corresponding topic pages
What should I do first?
  • Acute emotional crisis, at any time: TelefonSeelsorge: free of charge and anonymous around the clock on 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116123, as well as via online counselling.
  • After a crime: Weißer Ring, victims' helpline (Opfer-Telefon): free of charge nationwide on 116 006, daily from 7 am to 10 pm.
  • Find grief support locally: Approach the Bundesverband Trauerbegleitung e.V., local hospice associations or welfare associations (Diakonie, Caritas, DRK, AWO).
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Emergency numbers (112/110) are for acute danger to life – TelefonSeelsorge and crisis services do not replace an emergency call in an acute danger situation.
  • Many services are run by volunteers and availability varies by region – if in doubt, contact several services in parallel.
  • Not every service is responsible for every situation – the Weißer Ring, for example, specialises in victims of crime and their relatives, not in every bereavement in general.
Evidence
  • telefonseelsorge.de
  • weisser-ring.de
  • bundesverband-trauerbegleitung.de
  • veid.de
  • agus-selbsthilfe.de
  • anuas-selbsthilfe.de
As of

As of September 2026. · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.