German death certificates

[Michael]

Does anyone know about the process for obtaining a death certificate from Germany, please? I've tried googling but come across conflicting information. I understand that rather than a single national register, each state maintains its own, so I would have to apply directly to the relevant archive (in this case Berlin). One site suggested that in order for a certificate to be issued, I would have to prove I had a right to see it - does this apply for any certificate, or only recent ones? I wouldn't be able to prove a right since I'm not related to the individual in question (I'm interested in him for reasons unconnected to FH).

How much detail is required to enable the archive to trace the record? There's a fair amount of mystery surrounding this chap's later years - it's believed that he died in West Berlin sometime around 1955, but no-one is really sure. Also, is it possible to submit an application in English? I have a friend who works as a German translator so if necessary I could ask her to help, but it would be easier if I could do it myself.

[kiterunner]

I have been told in the past that you have to prove your relationship before you can have a copy of the certificate. But now some German civil registration records are coming online, so I don't know whether that is still the case.

You do sometimes find that death and / or burial details have been added to a baptism record; I found my 2xg-grandfather's date of death that way. Do you know when and where your man was born? Or was he not born in Germany?

[Michael]

Thanks for the info, Kite. This chap was born in South Africa in 1892, spent much of his life in England and moved to Germany probably sometime in the 1930s. It was rumoured that he became a Nazi sympathiser.

[kiterunner]

Have you tried searching Berlin directories for his name, Michael? (To get an idea of when he stopped being listed.) If not, then if you post it on here or PM it to me I could have a look.