On 2 September 2015, Schmidt underwent surgery for a vascular occlusion in his right leg.
On 17 September, Schmidt was discharged from hospital.
After initial improvement, his condition worsened again on 8 November, with his doctor saying he "feared for the worst."
Schmidt died in his Hamburg home on the afternoon of 10 November 2015, aged 96.
At the time of his death, he was the longest-lived German Chancellor.

A state funeral for Schmidt was held on 23 November at the Protestant (Lutheran) St. Michael's Church, Hamburg, where Loki Schmidt's funeral had been held.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in remarks to mourners, said, "He will be missed.
He was an astute observer and commentator, and it was with good reason that he had a reputation for dependability."
Others who spoke included former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Speaking in German, he lauded Schmidt for "vision and courage," based on the principles of "reason, law, peace and faith," and said Schmidt had been "a kind of world conscience."

Among the 1,800 who attended were German President Joachim Gauck, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, whose tenure in office paralleled Schmidt's as German chancellor.
Other guests included former chancellor Gerhard Schröder, former presidents Christian Wulff, Horst Köhler, Roman Herzog and Hamburg's mayor Olaf Scholz.
A flag-draped coffin containing the remains of the former chancellor, also a former German defense minister, was escorted by the German Army's Wachbataillon from St. Michael's to Ohlsdorf Cemetery for a private interment ceremony.
Helmut Schmidt's remains were buried there one day later, in the family grave alongside the remains of his parents and his wife, Loki.
On 2 September 2015, Schmidt underwent surgery for a vascular occlusion in his right leg. On 17 September, Schmidt was discharged from hospital. After initial improvement, his condition worsened again on 8 November, with his doctor saying he "feared for the worst." Schmidt died in his Hamburg home on the afternoon of 10 November 2015, aged 96. At the time of his death, he was the longest-lived German Chancellor.
A state funeral for Schmidt was held on 23 November at the Protestant (Lutheran) St. Michael's Church, Hamburg, where Loki Schmidt's funeral had been held. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in remarks to mourners, said, "He will be missed. He was an astute observer and commentator, and it was with good reason that he had a reputation for dependability." Others who spoke included former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Speaking in German, he lauded Schmidt for "vision and courage," based on the principles of "reason, law, peace and faith," and said Schmidt had been "a kind of world conscience."
Among the 1,800 who attended were German President Joachim Gauck, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, whose tenure in office paralleled Schmidt's as German chancellor. Other guests included former chancellor Gerhard Schröder, former presidents Christian Wulff, Horst Köhler, Roman Herzog and Hamburg's mayor Olaf Scholz. A flag-draped coffin containing the remains of the former chancellor, also a former German defense minister, was escorted by the German Army's Wachbataillon from St. Michael's to Ohlsdorf Cemetery for a private interment ceremony. Helmut Schmidt's remains were buried there one day later, in the family grave alongside the remains of his parents and his wife, Loki.
Helmut Schmidt