Abstract

The author briefly describes the requirements of German law concerning inheritance in order to explain which idea of family is represented in legal legitimate succession. The article also analyses the symbolic meanings that inherited goods have for the donors and the recipients. Inheritance as a gift is part of a network of lifelong exchanges. In the third part of the article, the author attempts to answer the question whether inheritance modifies the heir's lifestyle and his/her propension to buy a house or change housing arrangements. To transmit and to inherit are basic social processes which take place within families and have an important role in perpetuating the social positions of family members.