Diagnose Lebenssattheit? Literarische und filmische Perspektiven auf das ‚vollendete Leben‘ und den ‚Altersfreitod‘ in den Niederlanden, Belgien, Deutschland und der Schweiz

In several countries, ongoing debates address whether assisted suicide should be available to elderly individuals who are not (severely) ill but consider their lives complete for various reasons. A key challenge in such cases lies in distinguishing these death wishes from those that may stem from treatable mental illness, lack genuine autonomy, or are not based on unbearable and irreversible suffering. The negotiation of how to address such wishes involves not only political and societal actors, but also literature and film. This article examines how Dutch- and German-language works from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland engage artistically with the issue—including novels, novellas, autobiographical accounts, memoirs, as well as feature and documentary films.
These works offer a broad spectrum of perspectives: they give narrative form to
abstract concepts and invite reflection—either by fostering understanding for
the decision to die or by exposing ethical ambiguities and internal tensions.