Changing susceptibility of flood prone residents in Germany : mental coping and mitigation behaviour in the context of different flood types Floods are among the most costly natural hazards that affect Europe and Germany demanding a continuous adaptation of flood risk management. While social and economic development in recent years altered the flood risk patterns mainly with regard to an increase in flood exposure different flood events are further expected to increase in frequency and severity in certain European regions due to climate change. As a result of recent major flood events in Germany the German flood risk management shifted to more integrated approaches that include private precaution and preparation to reduce the damage on exposed assets. Yet detailed insights into the preparedness decisions of flood prone households remain scarce especially in connection to mental impacts and individual coping strategies after being affected by different flood types. This thesis aims to gain insights into flash floods as a costly hazard in certain German regions and compares the damage driving factors to the damage driving factors of river floods. Furthermore …