Body donation at the Sigmund Freud Private University
Do you want to make a valuable contribution to research and medical training after your death? Do you want to ease the burden on your loved ones in the event of bereavement? Then body donation may be the right option for you.
Since ancient times, anatomical specimens have played an important role in university teaching and in the development of new medical procedures that will benefit future generations. The possibility of making your own body available for these purposes is regulated in §19(2) point 3 of the Vienna Mortuary and Burial Act.
Thank you very much for your interest in making your body available to medical science and the training of future doctors after your death. Below you will find everything you need to know about the procedure, requirements and registration for the body donation programme of the Faculty of Medicine of the Sigmund Freud Private University of Vienna.
Procedure in the event of death
Firstly, a doctor issues a so-called death certificate and then those persons who are informed about the legacy inform the Faculty of Medicine of the SFU. The SFU then initiates the transfer of the body to the Centre for Anatomy and Molecular Medicine, with the Vienna Funeral Service handling the transport itself. There, the body is chemically prepared in order to be able to contribute to teaching and research, for example in dissection courses, the testing of new surgical techniques or the scientific examination of organs and tissue types. After a certain period of time, which can range from a few months to a few years depending on the process, the body is cremated and the urn is buried in a grave in the grounds of the Anatomy Memorial Centre at Vienna Central Cemetery. A plaque with the details of each body donor is attached to the memorial stone. A memorial service is held once a year to honour the deceased and pay tribute to their contribution to medicine. If a different burial place is specified in the legacy, the urn will be handed over to the next of kin noted there.
Requirements and legal basis
Persons who are resident in the province of Vienna can bequeath their body to the Centre for Anatomy and Molecular Medicine of the Sigmund Freud Private University after their death. Please note that a bequest for body donation is only a declaration of intent and does not constitute a legal claim. The bequest can be revoked at any time in writing and without giving reasons.
A revocation is only possible by the person making the bequest and cannot be made by a third party. It is not possible for relatives to revoke this personal disposition. It is therefore essential that you inform your relatives or next of kin of your decision. This will make the process easier for everyone involved after your death. You will also receive a body donation card, which can also help with faster allocation.
Bequests from persons under guardianship cannot be accepted. Bequests that have already been executed will lapse if the university’s accreditation is withdrawn.
We would also like to point out that a body donation can be refused for the following reasons:
- Performance of a forensic autopsy
- Highly infectious diseases (e.g. TBC, corona)
- External circumstances beyond the control of the university that restrict its operations (e.g. flooding, fire damage, pandemic)
- Great distance from the place of death to the Sigmund Freud Private University
- Severe mutilations after trauma, advanced decomposition after prolonged lying time or similar (amputations)
- Body mass index ≥ 35
1. completion of the form
“Legacy for body donation”
After you have expressed your wish to participate in the SFU body donation programme and provided your contact details by telephone, post or e-mail (see below for contact details), we will send you two copies of the “Bequest for Body Donation” form. Please complete the two copies in full and sign both.”
Please indicate who should be informed in the event of your death and answer the questions on the form regarding the use of your body donation. In the event of your death, it is important that Bestattung Wien is informed as soon as possible. The undertaker can then arrange the post-mortem examination and the transfer to the Sigmund Freud Private University as soon as possible.
2. return the completed forms
Please complete both copies of the “Bequest for body donation” form in full. Send only one of the two completed copies signed in the original, together with a copy of your photo ID (driving licence, passport, identity card) and only by post to the Centre for Anatomy and Molecular Medicine, Sigmund Freud Private University, Freudplatz 1, A-1020 Vienna. The second copy is for your personal records.
3. costs
- In principle, there are no costs for the body donation itself.
- Transport costs within Vienna will be covered by the university.
- We do not cover the costs of transport outside the catchment area (Vienna). We therefore strongly recommend that you take out repatriation insurance when travelling.
- Costs for errands, any funeral prints/farewells, etc., coroner’s report, death certificates, mortuary/cooling costs, hospital and institutional services are generally to be borne by the next of kin. If the place of death is in Vienna, the municipality of Vienna will cover the costs of the coroner’s inquest and mortuary/cooling costs. If the costs are not covered by the next of kin, the contract is deemed not to have been fulfilled. In this case, the Sigmund Freud Private University is no longer bound by the contract.
4. notification of changes to your data
As a body donor, we ask you to inform us of any change of residence or other changes to your personal details.
5. request for information
Please be sure to inform your relatives or the people you trust about your decision to donate your body. If possible, give them a copy of your legacy. This will ensure that we are informed immediately and can arrange a prompt transfer by the designated funeral parlour.
6. confidentiality
Your disposition and your personal details will be treated in the strictest confidence.
7After your death:
Contact details for notification of death
Notification of death: In the event of your death, the Sigmund Freud Private University must be informed immediately by the coroner’s office in Vienna (+43 1 4000 87 890) or by the responsible medical officer in the federal states.
The following telephone numbers can be used for this purpose: +43 1 90 500 70 / 1500
Outside business hours, as well as on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, please contact the funeral home and inform them of the legacy.
Our contact details
SIGMUND FREUD PRIVATE UNIVERSITY
Freudplatz 3,
1020 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 90 500 70 DW 1500
E-mail: kps@med.sfu.ac.at
Contact details for the bereaved for questions regarding funeral services, burial, etc.
Customer service centre Simmering / company headquarters
08:00 – 16:00
Phone: +43 1 50195 28612
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