Mona May Hansen (center bottom) is the German Champion of Funeral Directors. Katharina Neusiedler (left) came in second. Sonja Tönsing took third place. Behind the three winners are the jury (from left): Antje Bisping, Diana Pick, and Heiko Mächerle (Photo: © German Federal Association of Funeral Directors)
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The funeral director championship title goes to northern Germany this year. Mona May Hansen prevailed against her eight competitors in Münnerstadt. Second and third place went to Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, respectively.
Nine up-and-coming funeral directors from across Germany met on November 3rd at the Federal Training Center for Funeral Directors in Münnerstadt to determine the 2025 German Champion . The theoretical part of the competition tested their expertise in law, hygiene, grief psychology, and grave construction techniques. In the practical portion, the eight female and one male funeral directors had to demonstrate their skills in closing wounds and attaching a handle to a coffin. The jury, led by Antje Bisping, Chair of the Examination Board of the Federal Association of German Funeral Directors , along with Diana Pick and Heiko Mächerle, observed their work.
Mona May Hansen ( company: Timm Funeral Home ) from Schleswig-Holstein became the first national champion at the German Funeral Directors' Championship . Katharina Neusiedler ( company: Hanrieder Funeral Institute ) from Bavaria took second place . Sonja Tönsing ( company: Deppe Funeral Home ) from North Rhine-Westphalia came in third.
"The German Championship in the funeral director trade impressively demonstrates the dedication, empathy, and craftsmanship with which our young professionals enter this profession," emphasized Antje Bisping , Chair of the Examination Board. "We are proud of the high level of professional and interpersonal competence that the participants have shown in this competition."
The awards ceremony for the skills competition will take place on December 5, 2025, in the Palmengarten in Frankfurt am Main. During the event, the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) will honor the winners of the German Championship and the design competition "Good Design in Craftsmanship – Craftspeople Design".
Source: Federal Association of German Undertakers
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