December 1, 2025|
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|3 days agoLudwig Minelli, Founder of Assisted-Suicide Group Dignitas, Dies at 92
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of the Swiss assisted-suicide organization Dignitas, has died by assisted suicide at the age of 92. This article covers his life, his decades-long campaign for right-to-die advocacy, the legal battles his organization faced, and the legacy he leaves behind.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- Ludwig Minelli, the founder of the Swiss assisted-suicide organization Dignitas, has died by assisted suicide at the age of 92.
- Minelli founded Dignitas in 1998.
- He was a human-rights lawyer who campaigned for decades for the right to a self-determined death.
- Minelli's legal work contributed to a landmark 2011 European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling that recognized the right of a mentally competent person to decide the manner and time of their own death.
- Dignitas faced a legal battle over the discovery of dozens of urns containing human ashes in Lake Zurich in 2010, which led to a ban on commercial burials outside cemeteries.
By The Numbers
92
Age at death
1998
Year Dignitas was founded
10,000+
Number of Dignitas members
67
Number of urns discovered in Lake Zurich
They Said
"Dignitas announced on Sunday that its founder had 'chosen to end his life'."
"The euthanasia organisation said it would continue to develop the association in line with its founder’s wishes."