The decline of the autopsy rate in institutes for pathology in Germany is a reason for growing concern. One reason for the restrained activity in performing autopsies might be uncertainty about the legal position concerning the admissibility of so-called clinical or scientific autopsies. Whereas a legal basis for different kinds of autopsies does exist for quite some time (i.e. code of criminal procedure, epidemic law etc.), such statutory rulings have been lacking for clinical or scientific autopsies. Following Berlin and Bremen, in 2000 Hamburg introduced a law for the regulation of scientific autopsies. This autopsy law differentiates between clinical, medicolegal (not on public prosecutor's order), and anatomical autopsies. It arranges aspects of legality of, consent in, order of, and implementation of the autopsy. A survey among clinical pathologists in Hamburg clarifies the drop in the autopsy rate since the last decades until today. The colleagues were also asked to point out their opinion about the reasons for the dropping autopsy rate and to state their experience with the new autopsy law.
