Many people today expressly wish for an individual funeral - for themselves, but also for their relatives. Funeral services and burial should not simply follow rigid patterns, but should honor and celebrate the life of the deceased in a harmonious way.

But what does the funeral after a suicide look like? How is a life that was consciously and actively ended celebrated? What expectations, fears, but also wishes do the relatives have? How are they accompanied in this exceptional situation by funeral directors and others – also beyond the funeral? Are there special rituals and counseling services? And to what extent is a funeral after suicide also a challenge for funeral directors?

The Museum fo Sepulchral Culture and the Stiftung Deutsche Bestattungskultur invite you to this joint theme evening in the context of the special exhibition. We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Alexander Buchmann as our guest. Together with him, we want to approach the questions outlined above – and in doing so, focus on the big question: Is there a change in the way we deal with suicide?

Alexander Buchmann is a certified mortician and has been working in the Munich area since 1995. He is also the appointed head of psychosocial emergency care (PSNV) in the Munich rescue service area and the organizational head of crisis intervention in Munich (KiM). Among other things, he was involved in PSNV during the flood disaster in Deggendorf (2013) and the crash of Germanwings flight 9525 in France (2015).

After a panel discussion with Mr. Buchmann, visitors will be able to ask questions and share experiences in an open round. Afterwards, we invite all attendees to a social gathering and further exchange in the premises of the exhibition.

We look forward to an interesting evening with many exciting insights!