Death record

Death records are a part of the civil registration. A death record lists the following data:

  • Place, date and time of death
  • Names of parents
  • Names of spouses
  • Name, profession and age of the one registering the birth
  • Names, profession and age of the witnesses
  • Often: address where the death took place

Within a few working days, every death has to be registered in the municipality it occurs. This means there can be a difference of a few days between the document date and the actual death date.

Many deaths are registered by close family members or neighbors. Two male witnesses are required at the registration. These are often neighbors, although sometimes family members can be seen as well.

Sometimes a death took place in a different place than where the person lived. Such deaths are often registered in the place of residence as well. An abstract of the official death certificate is then copied into the death register of the place of residence.

Stillborn children are registered in the death records. They are usually called "levenloos kind" (lifeless child), "levenloze dochter" (lifeless daughter) or "levenloze zoon" (lifeless son).

Example

Scan

Where to find

Death records are public after 50 years. Death records can be found at both the provincial archives and local archives. Many death records are available online in the website WieWasWie.

About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands. She holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has a post-graduate diploma in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee. She has been doing genealogy for over 30 years and helps people from across the world find their ancestors in the Netherlands. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

Comments

  1. I am coming to Amsterdam for 3 days . My grandfather died in amsterdam during the was. We were told he starved to death, but had money on him, also had owned property, he traveled from USA often so we know he was not poor. I AM TRYING TO FIND HIS DEATH RECORD. I Have his birth certificate his parents and the death certificates of his grandparents.. Can you kead me in right direction. I only have old address and names. No knowledge of date of death, might be able to find approx date of birth. I do know my great greats lived and died AT 51 Amstel, have read a lot on the building and look forward to seeing the museum. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me his name ……?………… Philippus Cornelis Mell. Born 1860 married Anna Maria Fontjin Beek Aug 25 1885. Brother Johannes Mell 23 blacksmith was present..he married 3 more times all wives died.

  2. Susanna van der Meer says

    I am trying to find out about my grandmother’ sister. She was Alida Obbema and was born in Workum in 1896. The family moved to Germany in 1899 and lived in Vernich, near Weilerwist. Both my great grandparents died within two weeks of each other in 1907 in a hospital in Heimerzheim. I have death notices for both of them. The children, three of the four girls, of which my grandmother was the youngest, were eventually brought back to the Netherlands. However, there is no trace of Alida. We assume that she died in Germany, but can’t find any death notice or information.
    I guess, we’ll never find out, but would appreciate any suggestions.

    • Have you done research in Vernich and Heimerzheim to see if she appears in death records there? These are probably not online but would require on-site research.

      • Susanna van der Meer says

        Yes, I have. I got two death certificates for my great grandparents. She doesn’t seem to be there. e don’t even know if she died in the Netherlands or in Germany. I can’t find anything in the church records in Friesland. I guess, it will remain a mystery.

  3. sarah philip says

    wonder if you could help.
    Am trying to find a death certificate of a Peter Faber who died in Creil in 2016, Where do you look for certificates this late. Need this as soon as possible

  4. Donald HOOGLAND says

    want to find family information on deceased relatives from the Venhuizen-Hem area. I have names but no clues as to any information relative to my family name, Hoogland

    • I am trying the find out, for medical reasons, what my father died off. He passed away in August/ September 2003 and I had not had contact with him from about 1987 due to personal circumstances.
      I have immigrated to New Zealand in 1996, which obviously makes exploring this harder.
      His name is: Dirk Cornelis Gerardus van der Zeijden, geboren in Vianen op 16 January 1942, broer van Nel, Trudy and Ton (?) Eerste huwelijk was met Wilhelmina Petronella Boers, mijn moeder. He devorced her and remarried and his second wife obviously wants nothing to do with me as I received a decline of any inheritage after I was notified of his passing. I am not after anything else then a medical record or cause of death to have a clearer picture of my own health issues. Any advice to who and where to continue this search?
      Regards Nancy Zekic ( née van der Zeijden)

      • Unfortunately, that information is not available in Dutch records. The only way would be to contact family or friends who knew him. Even medical records would probably be destroyed by now.

  5. Robert Margulies says

    Yvette:
    My aunt THEA MARGULIES died at Bergen Belsen concentration camp (in Germany) on May 31, 1945. She was last domiciled at Hoendiepstaat 28, Amsterdam. She was born June 19, 1926. I have a document from Netherlands Red Cross stating that the decease of this person was reported on February 28, 1952 by the ad hoc committee of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice to the Office of Vital Statistics in Amsterdam, as announced in the Official Journal of The Netherlands of same day. Upon expiration of 3 months, the death certificate will be issued.
    I would like to get a copy of the death certificate.
    Can you help me out?
    Thank you

  6. Wouterina says

    I am looking for the date of death Leon Van Dort Utrecht Netherlands and Jannie (nee Klein) Van Dort
    regardsW Klein OAM JP

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