Alle Fragen zum Test Leben in Deutschland

Freedom of expression is guaranteed in Article 5(1) of the Basic Law and expressly protects criticism of the government as well. Freedom of religion (Article 4) and the right to vote (Article 38) have nothing to do with it, and paying taxes is not a precondition for stating one's opinion.

Under Article 7(2) of the Basic Law, parents decide whether their child takes part in religious education; from the age of 14 the child decides for itself. History, politics and language lessons are compulsory subjects and cannot be opted out of.

In a state governed by the rule of law, state power is bound by statute and law (Article 20(3) of the Basic Law); that is why the state and all residents must abide by the law. Laws apply to everyone in the country, not only to Germans, and they are passed by parliament, not by the courts.

Freedom of expression is a basic right guaranteed in Article 5(1) of the Basic Law. The Basic Law does not guarantee a right to freely own weapons, and both the law of the jungle and vigilante justice are prohibited because only the state may exercise force.

Article 38(1) of the Basic Law requires general, direct, free, equal and secret elections: no one may be influenced, forced to vote in a particular way, or suffer disadvantages as a result. Buying votes is a criminal offence, there is no obligation to vote, and former prisoners are as a rule also allowed to vote.

The Basic Law of 1949 is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Volksgesetz", "Bundesgesetz" and "Deutsches Gesetz" are not names for the constitution; a federal statute is merely a single law.

Article 4 of the Basic Law guarantees freedom of belief and conscience. There is no right to entertainment; the Basic Law does protect the free choice of occupation (Article 12) and the home against intrusion (Article 13), but it does not guarantee a right to a job or to housing.

Article 1 contains human dignity, Article 3 equality before the law and Article 5 freedom of expression, so these sentences are in the Basic Law. It does not say that everyone should have the same amount of money, because equality before the law does not mean equal incomes.

The right to asylum (Article 16a of the Basic Law) presupposes that a person is politically persecuted as a foreigner; Germans cannot claim it. Human dignity (Article 1), freedom of expression (Article 5) and protection of the family (Article 6), by contrast, apply to all people.

Article 102 of the Basic Law abolished the death penalty; torture and corporal punishment violate human dignity (Article 1) and are prohibited. A fine, by contrast, is a common penalty under German criminal law and is compatible with the Basic Law.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany has the official name "Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany". "Bundesverfassung", "Gesetzbuch" and "Verfassungsvertrag" are not official designations.

Freedom of the press is guaranteed in Article 5(1) of the Basic Law and belongs to the basic rights that may not be abolished even by a constitutional amendment (Article 79(3)). Therefore neither the Bundestag with a simple or two-thirds majority nor the Bundesrat can remove freedom of the press.

The opposition consists of all members and parliamentary groups that do not support the government. The governing parties form the government, the largest group may belong either to the government or to the opposition, and the 5% threshold only governs entry into parliament.

Article 5(1) of the Basic Law also protects statements made on the internet. Insulting passers-by is punishable as defamation, unconstitutional symbols may not be shown in public under Section 86a of the Criminal Code, and criticising the government is precisely what is permitted.

Article 12 of the Basic Law prohibits forced labour; it is permitted only in the case of detention ordered by a court. Military service is possible under Article 12a, the free choice of occupation is guaranteed, and working abroad is permitted.

Freedom of expression is limited by the general laws (Article 5(2) of the Basic Law), for example by the law on insult and defamation: anyone who publicly spreads false facts about individuals is liable to prosecution. Criticism of the government, discussions about religions and criticism of the state, by contrast, are permitted.

Article 3 of the Basic Law obliges the state to treat all people equally; unequal treatment without an objective justification is prohibited. Freedom of expression (Article 5), the right of petition (Article 17) and freedom of assembly (Article 8) are basic rights protected by the state, not prohibited by it.

Article 1(1) of the Basic Law states: "Human dignity is inviolable." The right to life is in Article 2(2), freedom of religion in Article 4 and freedom of expression in Article 5.

Freedom of movement under Article 11 of the Basic Law means that one may freely choose one's place of residence and whereabouts in Germany. Changing profession falls under freedom of occupation (Article 12), changing religion under freedom of belief (Article 4), and there is no such basic right relating to clothing.

Anyone who wants to establish a dictatorship is fighting the free democratic basic order and is therefore acting unconstitutionally; such a party can be banned under Article 21(2) of the Basic Law. "Tolerant", "oriented towards the rule of law" and "law-abiding" describe the exact opposite.

The federal coat of arms shows the federal eagle: a black eagle with a red beak and red talons on a golden background. The other images show different coats of arms or symbols and are not the coat of arms of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Under Article 20(1) of the Basic Law, Germany is a republic: the head of state is elected and does not rule for life. A monarchy or principality has a hereditary head of state, and a dictatorship has no free elections.

Most people in employment in Germany are employees working for a company or a public authority. The self-employed with their own company and people working in family businesses are a minority, and honorary work is not gainful employment.

The Federal Republic of Germany consists of 16 federal states, including the three city-states Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen. The numbers 14, 15 and 17 are wrong.

North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt are among the 16 federal states. Alsace-Lorraine was part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 and today belongs to France; it is not a federal state.

Article 20(1) of the Basic Law states: "The Federal Republic of Germany is a democratic and social federal state." The other options name a communist, a monarchist or a socialist form of state, none of which applies to Germany.

Article 20(1) of the Basic Law describes Germany as a federal state in which the federation and the states have their own tasks and competences. Socialist, dictatorship and monarchy do not apply to the Federal Republic.

Under Article 20(2) and Article 38 of the Basic Law, state authority emanates from the people; the eligible voters elect the members of the Bundestag. The military, the business sector and the administration have no right to vote in this sense.

The heraldic animal of the Federal Republic of Germany is the eagle, which is also shown in the federal coat of arms. Lion, bear and horse are heraldic animals of other countries or cities, not of the federation.

Press censorship contradicts Article 5 of the Basic Law, which states: "There shall be no censorship." Regular elections, freedom of expression and several parties, by contrast, are features of a democracy.