There are some documents that should not be disposed of under any circumstances. This includes identification documents, birth and marriage certificates, and divorce documents.
Documents related to social security, pensions and health insurance must also not be thrown away. Bank statements, tax assessments, invoices and receipts only need to be kept to a limited extent and can then be dispose of. Stiftung Warentest recommends creating an "emergency folder" in which relatives can find all important documents in case of emergency.