31 cases of criminal dismemberment or mutilation were investigated in the period from 1959 to 1987 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Hamburg. With regard to all legal autopsies the average frequency was about 1:500. A distinct increase of the number of cases is noticeable within the last years; i.e. 1984 there were 6 victims. Our study enclosed the autopsy findings, the police investigations and the available court records. 12 cases were classified as defensive and 14 cases as offensive dismemberment of bodies; 2 cases of necrophilous dismemberment occurred after stealing the corpse and 3 victims were killed by intravital decapitation or mutilation. The victims were of all ages, but mainly between 20 and 60 years old; 22 of them were female and 9 male. 23 perpetrators could be identified; 18 of them were male and 5 female, most of them were between 30 and 40 years of age. The psychiatric expertises classified 17 of the perpetrators as "normal", 3 as abnormal and 3 as psychotic. Many morphological and criminological details concerning victims, perpetrators, used instruments for killing and dismembering, elimination and identification of the dismembered bodies and some juridical aspects are presented.