'"Want ware zielesmart is niet woordenrijk". Veranderende gevoelscodes voor nabestaanden 1750-1988', in: Albert van der Zeijden (ed.), Cultuurgeschiedenis van de dood, Amsterdam 1990, p.84-114 Over the past centuries the expressions of emotions at the death of a person have radically changed. This essay analyses these changes from an emotionological perspective, inspired by the framework developed for the history of emotions by Stearns & Stearns. It puts into practice the insight that one should first become acquainted with the social standards for emotions in a given time and group, before one can interpret the expressions of emotions by relatives as found in several sources. For this purpose three levels of research were constructed: the top level of normative writings on emotions, the hidden level of emotions in private life, and the level in between with the public expressions of emotions. During the period 1750-1988 different Dutch sources on all three levels were systematically compared with each other through qualitative and quantitative analysis. Manifestations of emotions were classified into four different categories: expressions of regard for the deceased, expressions of the emotional relationship with the deceased, expressions of grief, and finally expressions of consolation. The analysis not only showed changes in the proportions between the different emotional categories, but also in the intensity with which feelings of grief and the emotional relationship with the deceased were expressed. Clear shifts could be noticed after 1800, 1850 and 1960. Changing portrayals of mankind resulted in a changing emotional culture and hence in changing expressions of emotions.