German Headstone Inscriptions: Phrases, Symbols and Translations

German heritage is strong in Ontario, Western New York and the Midwest. Here are the most common German inscriptions.

Common phrases

Dates

• geb. (geboren) — born
• gest. (gestorben) — died
• A star (✱) often marks birth and a cross (†) death.

Dates are often written day.month.year, e.g. 14.3.1938.

Umlauts and ß

German uses ä, ö, ü and ß. Check every one on the proof — see the proof checklist.

Bilingual layouts

German epitaph with English names and dates is common. See multilingual inscriptions.

German heritage regions

See Kitchener-Waterloo and the Lehigh Valley for communities with strong German traditions, and plain traditions for Mennonite customs.

Older stones may use Fraktur lettering; a modern stone can echo it with a blackletter font.

Common German phrases

• "Hier ruht in Gott" — Here rests in God.
• "Ruhe in Frieden" — Rest in peace.
• "Unvergessen" — Unforgotten.
• "In Liebe und Dankbarkeit" — In love and gratitude.
• "geb." and "gest." — born and died.

A cross (†) often stands for "died" and a star (*) for "born". Check ä, ö, ü and ß carefully on the proof. See Kitchener-Waterloo.

German faith lines

Common scripture and faith phrases in German:

• "Der Herr ist mein Hirte" — The Lord is my shepherd.
• "Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herrn sterben" — Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.
• "Auf Wiedersehen" — Until we meet again.
• "Ruhe sanft" — Rest gently.

Have a German speaker check grammar and capitalisation — all German nouns are capitalised.

Key Takeaways

• "Hier ruht" and "Ruhe in Frieden" are classic phrases.
• geb. and gest. mean born and died.
• Check umlauts and ß carefully.

Next Step

Send your German wording with your quote request.