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Dying

Why does dying, despite its fundamental importance to life, often remain a marginal topic in society and science? How can words be found to make the unspeakable nature of death a subject of dialogue?

Drei schwarze Ballons, die mit dünnen schwarzen Schnüren zusammengebunden sind, stehen vor einem pastellrosa Hintergrund.
Foto: Ivan Samkov (pexels)

Everyone will die. Death is a fundamental part of human life. Both our own mortality and the loss of loved ones are an irrefutable part of being human. Given this fact, it is astonishing how little space dying is given – both within and outside of science. Yet dying and death also play a role in numerous scientific disciplines – as a subject, as a condition or sometimes even as an (unintended) result of research. The Research Group "Dying" brings together different disciplinary perspectives. Its aim is to understand dying as part of life and to encourage reflection on the role of death and dying in and for research.

2025/2026: Dying – a reading book

With the planned reader, the Research Group invites readers to reflect on dying, to engage in conversation about it, to learn about different perspectives on death, and perhaps to take the topic lightly, at least temporarily. Portraits and interviews with experts focus on different facets of dying and make it easier to talk about it in concrete terms: What do terminally ill people, palliative and intensive care physicians, undertakers, veterinarians, health policymakers, bereaved relatives, pastors, young and old people, grief counsellors, scientists from various disciplines and many more have to say about it? What can we learn from them about dying? How can people deal with the reality of death in concrete terms? How can they talk about it? What might preparation for death look like? In addition to portraits and short texts, the book will also contain artistic explorations of the topic and deviate from the classic monochrome aesthetic of mourning cards in its design.

An initial workshop on this project took place during the autumn plenary session in October 2025.

Spokespersons

participating Members