German Culture

All about Germany

  • Home
  • Learn German
  • Articles
    • Famous Germans
    • German Holidays
    • Cuisine
    • How To In Germany
    • Daily Life
    • German Facts
    • German Traditions
  • Facts About Germany
  • German History
  • German Recipes
    • German Baking Recipes
    • German Christmas Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Easter Recipes
    • Halloween Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sauerkraut Recipes
  • Travel to Germany
  • Contact

Reinheitsgebot

Reinheitsgebot

The Reinheitsgebot, literally “purity order”, sometimes called the “German Beer Purity Law” in English, is a series of regulations limiting the ingredients in beer in Germany and the states of the former Holy Roman Empire. The best-known version of the law was adopted in Bavaria in 1516, but similar regulations predate the Bavarian order, and modern regulations also significantly differ from the 1516 Bavarian version.

The most influential predecessor of the modern Reinheitsgebot was a law first adopted in the duchy of Munich in 1487. After Bavaria was reunited, the Munich law was adopted across the entirety of Bavaria on 23 April 1516. As Germany unified, Bavaria pushed for adoption of this law on a national basis.

Nowadays, according to tradition, during Oktoberfest only original Munich beer which is characterized by a long tradition, much experience in brewing and and the strict adherence of the Reinheitsgebot.

The regulation says several things:

– It says what can be part of beer, and what can not. Beer may only contain water, barley, and hops.
– It gives a price to beer. This is important for taxation.

Some people talk about the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the German Reinheitsgebot. They all mean the same thing. There are similar acts in the other states which later became known as Germany.

The Reinheitsgebot is no longer part of German law. It has been replaced by the Provisional German Beer Law , which allows things prohibited in the Reinheitsgebot, such as wheat malt and cane sugar, but which no longer allows unmalted barley.

Yeast was not a part of beer until Louis Pasteur discovered what it did during fermentation. This was around the year 1800. Brewers (the people brewing beer) usually re-used some of the sediments of the fermentation. They took some sediments of an older brew and added those sediments to the next brew.

Hops were added as a method of preservation (to stop the beer from going bad quickly). Hops were allowed to stop other things (like adding certain mushrooms to the beer, which was done in the Middle Ages) being done to preserve beer. Other herbs, like stinging nettles had been used. The stinging nettle is part of the same plant family as hops.

A brewer who broke the Reinheitsgebot was punished: the beer barrels were taken by the state and destroyed and he/she did not receive any money for the loss.

Even today, many brewers are proud of the Reinheitsgebot; most German breweries say they follow it. Some only use it as a marketing tool. The Reinheitsgebot says that beer is made of barley, so all wheat beers were not allowed by the original Reinheitsgebot).


 The text (translated) of the 1516 Bavarian law is as follows:

We hereby proclaim and decree, by Authority of our Province, that henceforth in the Duchy of Bavaria, in the country as well as in the cities and marketplaces, the following rules apply to the sale of beer:

    From Michaelmas to Georgi, the price for one Mass [Bavarian Liter 1,069] or one Kopf [bowl-shaped container for fluids, not quite one Mass], is not to exceed one Pfennig Munich value, and

    From Georgi to Michaelmas, the Mass shall not be sold for more than two Pfennig of the same value, the Kopf not more than three Heller [Heller usually one-half Pfennig].

    If this not be adhered to, the punishment stated below shall be administered.

    Should any person brew, or otherwise have, other beer than March beer, it is not to be sold any higher than one Pfennig per Mass.

    Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, market-towns and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.

    Should, however, an innkeeper in the country, city or market-towns buy two or three pails of beer (containing 60 Mass) and sell it again to the common peasantry, he alone shall be permitted to charge one Heller more for the Mass or the Kopf, than mentioned above. Furthermore, should there arise a scarcity and subsequent price increase of the barley (also considering that the times of harvest differ, due to location), WE, the Bavarian Duchy, shall have the right to order curtailments for the good of all concerned.
— Bavarian Reinheitsgebot of 1516 (emphasis added), Eden, Karl J. (1993). “History of German Brewing”. Zymurgy. 16 (4).


The Bavarian order of 1516 was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to barley was meant to ensure the availability of affordable bread, as wheat and rye were reserved for use by bakers. The rule may have also had a protectionist role, as beers from Northern Germany often contained additives that were not present in Bavarian beer.

Religious conservatism may have also played a role in adoption of the rule in Bavaria, to suppress the use of plants that were allegedly used in pagan rituals, such as gruit. The rule also excluded problematic methods of preserving beer, such as soot, stinging nettle and henbane.

Because of strong German consumer preferences, labeling beer as being compliant with Reinheitsgebot is believed to be a valuable marketing tool in Germany. German brewers have used the law to market German beer internationally, including a failed attempt to have the law added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritages. Some breweries outside Germany, such as Gordon Biersch in California, Red Oak Brewery in Whitsett, North Carolina, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, North Carolina, Schulz Braü in Knoxville, Tennessee, Namibia Breweries, Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Bitte Schön Brauhaus in New Hamburg, Ontario also claim to be compliant to the Reinheitsgebot as part of their marketing.

Related articles:
German Beer – the Absolutely German Drink
The History of German Beer Steins
How to Taste Beer
German Beer Steins

You might also like:

  • Almabtrieb and Viehscheid - Bringing Cattle Home from Mountain PasturesAlmabtrieb and Viehscheid - Bringing Cattle Home…
  • The History of the German LanguageThe History of the German Language
  • Walpurgisnacht - Walpurgis NightWalpurgisnacht - Walpurgis Night
  • Krampus - the Dark Side of St. NicholasKrampus - the Dark Side of St. Nicholas
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship

How to Get a Work Permit for Germany

How to Get a Work Permit for Germany

Obtaining a work permit for Germany is not always easy. Your success in the application process depends on various factors: your nationality, your occupation, even your annual salary. Here are the key aspects that you have to keep in mind.

General Considerations

Over the past few years, the German government has tried to encourage the migration of highly qualified professionals by introducing a new residence title for Germany. The aging population and a shortage of engineers, IT specialists, healthcare staff, etc. have become major challenges.

EU nationals, as well as people from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, don’t need a visa or official permission to hold a job in Germany. However, intra-European migration may not be enough to compensate for the lack of qualified employees. Therefore, getting a work visa (aka “Blue Card EU”) has become easier for selected, well-paid third-country nationals with a university degree.

Nowadays, an employment permit for Germany is usually issued together with their residence permit. Plenty of people holding a German residence permit are allowed to start working in Germany too, unless their residence title explicitly says otherwise.

Nonetheless, immigration laws do remain rather strict. Except for the cases mentioned above, it is not always easy to take up gainful employment.

Moreover, no other document can replace your residence and / or work permit for Germany. Do not consider working without one. If caught, both you and your employer will have to pay high fines. And without such permits, no insurance company will cover you in case of workplace accidents or occupational diseases.

Country of Origin

Acquiring a work permit for Germany strongly depends on your nationality. If you are a citizen of an EU member state, you needn’t apply for one. There are, however, temporary exceptions for citizens of Croatia. They have to get a so-called EU work permit from the Federal Employment Agency. This requirement will be abolished by June 30, 2015, though.

Citizens of other states usually need to apply for a work permit for Germany from abroad, together with their visa. Handing in your application from within Germany is only possible for expats from a few selected countries (e.g. Canada or the US).

Once you kick off the process, the German diplomatic mission will contact the immigration department (Ausländerbehörde) in Germany. In turn, this office gets in touch with the Federal Employment Agency.

The agency can then approve your application, issue the permit, and submit it to the Ausländerbehörde. From there, it is passed on to the diplomatic mission where you have originally applied for your visa.

If you are interested in an employment visa for Germany, go to the nearest German Embassy or Consulate in order to:

  • apply in person
  • bring a valid passport and at least one copy thereof
  • supply several passport photographs
  • pay the required fee
  • provide additional documents (e.g. a certificate of good conduct, a job contract, diplomas and references, etc.).

Details regarding the visa application process may vary according to your country of origin. Please contact your local German Embassy to check the exact requirements.

If you are already employed at the foreign branch office of a German company, this is likely to speed up things. Your employer can help you with the immigration process or provide you with a contract for an intra-company transfer. The latter often makes it a lot easier to obtain a work visa for Germany.





Related articles:
German Nationality Law
How to Get German Citizenship
German Dual Citizenship
How to Move to Germany

You might also like:

  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship
  • How to Act Like a Real GermanHow to Act Like a Real German
  • How to Prepare for a Trip to GermanyHow to Prepare for a Trip to Germany
  • ReinheitsgebotReinheitsgebot
  • Party Like a GermanParty Like a German
  • How to Make German QuarkHow to Make German Quark

How to Move to Germany

How to Move to Germany

If you do not want to completely say goodbye to your own country in order to live in Germany, permanent residency to guarantee you can stay long-term might be a better bet.

Taking up residency in Germany can be a tricky topic that involves a fair bit of paperwork. This article will list the most common types of German residence permits and explain how to register with local authorities upon arrival.

Just like obtaining a German visa, acquiring a German residence permit is strongly tied to your nationality and your reasons for coming to Germany. First of all, nationals of EU or EEA member states do not need a residence permit at all. As long as they move to Germany for work or study or have some way to financially support themselves, they enjoy full mobility within the EU. Upon arrival, they still need to register with the local authorities, though.

For an expat from outside the EU, a residence permit is usually issued for the purpose of employment or education in Germany. It is also possible to get one for joining a spouse or parent living in Germany. However, in the last case, this does not necessarily include permission to work in Germany.

The duration of your residence permit usually reflects your personal situation, i.e. your living and working conditions. Getting an extension is usually not a problem if your situation doesn’t change. For example, if you keep working for the same company year after year, your residence permit should be renewed as a matter of course.

The following article solely focuses on the available types of residence permits. Furthermore, it explains how to register with the local authorities after you’ve moved to Germany.

Types of Residence Permits

All foreign residents from non-EU member states need a residence permit for planned stays longer than 90 days, regardless of their country of origin. A short-term visa for visitors can only be extended under special circumstances, e.g. if you fall seriously ill before your intended date of departure.

Usually, you have to apply for a visa plus a residence permit (and work permit, if necessary) at an embassy or consulate. Nationals from a few selected countries can also obtain these after arriving in Germany. There are just a few exceptions to this rule, especially for asylum seekers and political refugees. Obviously, they don’t have to go through the regular application process via a diplomatic mission.

For a typical expat moving to Germany, the following kinds of residence permits might be of interest:

  • the temporary residence permit,
  • the Blue Card,
  • the EC long-term residence permit, and
  • the permanent settlement permit.

The general requirements for these permits are that you have adequate German skills, can support yourself financially, have health insurance and have no criminal record.

You can apply for what’s called permanent EC residence after living in Germany for five years under some form of limited residence permit (ie a work permit). This permit also means you can live anywhere else in the EU as well.

There’s also a settlement permit. This one does not allow you to move around the EU in the same way, but sometimes you can get it in less than five years.

For the settlement permit, students of a German university can apply two years after graduation. And EU Blue Card holders (people with a gross income over €49,600, or €38,688 depending on the profession) can get permanent residence after working 33 months, or just 21 months with a B1 language certificate.

Plus, self-employed people with a successfully established business can also apply within three years.

Germany also will grant immediate permanent residence to “highly qualified” immigrants, such as scientists, instructors or researchers, who also have firm job offers.

A temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) is the most common type. It’s generally valid for one year. How often it has to be renewed strongly depends on your employment status, your occupation, and your nationality. For example, a US expatriate who has an unlimited job contract with a company based in Germany may receive a permit that needs to be renewed after three years. However, if the same person only has a limited employment contract for the next two years, their residence permit will run out after around two years as well.

As long as your personal situation doesn’t change, the renewal of your residence permit is mostly a formality. However, if you change employers, lose your job, separate from your spouse, etc., all this can impact your residence status. In such cases, it’s best to contact the local Ausländerbehörde (Aliens Registration Office) immediately. You can also consult an immigration lawyer for further advice.

The EU Blue Card is a temporary residence permit plus work permit for highly-qualified employees. It’s easier to apply for than a regular employment visa. At the moment, you need a university degree and a confirmed job offer with an annual salary of EUR 47,600 or more. Expats working in engineering, IT, medical care, or the natural sciences may also qualify for a Blue Card if they earn at least EUR 37,128 per year. An EU Blue Card is normally valid for up to four years. The spouses of Blue Card holders are allowed to live and work in Germany, too. Moreover, it’s easier for expatriates with Blue Cards to obtain a permanent settlement permit.

Settlement Permits

Most foreign residents can apply for a permanent residence permit – a “settlement permit” (Niederlassungserlaubnis) – after five years. Some people may get it sooner: For example, if you are a non-EU national married to a German citizen, you could file your application for a settlement permit after three years. If you have graduated from a German university and hold a temporary residence permit for paid employment, you can even submit your application after two years.

However, you need to fulfill various other conditions: You have to prove some basic knowledge of the German language, Germany’s political system, and German society. Moreover, you need to show that you are able to earn a living and that you have made financial contributions to Germany’s national pension plan for five years. Proof of accommodation is also required.

In a few rare cases, a permanent residence permit is granted at once. For instance, highly qualified people, such as academic teaching and research staff, and scholars, can receive a settlement permit immediately if they can financially support themselves and have adapted well to the local culture.

The so-called “EU long-term residence permit” is almost identical to the German settlement permit. It was mostly introduced to comply with a new EU directive. However, if you obtain the EU long-term residence permit in Germany, this allows you to move to other EU member states. Unlike people with a regular residence permit or settlement permit, you receive full access to the labor market and social security schemes in the European Union.





Related articles:
German Nationality Law
How to Get German Citizenship
German Dual Citizenship
How to Get a Work Permit for Germany

You might also like:

  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship
  • ReinheitsgebotReinheitsgebot
  • How to Prepare for a Trip to GermanyHow to Prepare for a Trip to Germany
  • How to Act Like a Real GermanHow to Act Like a Real German

German Dual Citizenship

German Dual Citizenship

While most nationalities must denounce their nationality in order to get German citizenship, German law permits certain people to hold two citizenships in certain circumstances.

German dual citizenship can be granted in the following situations:

  • Children with one German and one foreign parent, or a parent who has two citizenships, automatically acquire all the citizenships of their parents.
  • Resettlers of ethnic German descent and their family members (admitted along with them) do not have to renounce their previous citizenship when they acquire German citizenship.
  • Germans who acquire citizenship of another EU country or Switzerland do not automatically lose their German citizenship.

Any child who acquires German citizenship by right of being born in Germany or naturalisation and who holds citizenship elsewhere must decide by age 23 whether to retain their German citizenship or give preference to the other citizenship.

Even if you hold German dual citizenship, you are still wholly viewed as a German citizen by German law and have the same rights as any German citizen. However, if you chose to live in your home country (or any country where you hold citizenship) you will lose your right to claim German consular protection; instead, you will be viewed by your home country as one of its citizens and thus their services apply.

Having a German dual citizenship is not an easy task. You cannot have dual citizenship in Germany unless you belong to one of these groups:

  • You are from an EU country or the former Soviet Union
  • You are from a country which does not allow you to give up your citizenship
  • You are an ethnic German
  • You have parents from the U.S
  • You have obtained permission from the German authorities to retain another citizenship

You could have a dual citizenship, but the country you live in determines what rights you will have. If you live in Germany, the country considers you a German citizen and you are entitled to German services and consular help. However, if you live in the country of your other citizenship, you cannot take advantage of German services and cannot get any help from the German consulate.

However, this does not mean that you can give up your obligations. In many instances, you might be required to pay taxes in both countries where you have your citizenships as well as complete military service as per German law.

Dual Citizenship USA/Germany

Based on U.S and German law, you can have a citizenship of both countries. This can happen only in the instances where the child is born to one American and one German parent. In this case, the child is not required to give up either nationality and can hold both.

However, if the child lives in the U.S, they might have the citizenship of Germany, but cannot take advantage of German services. The other way around applies as well. U.S and German dual nationals are not exempt from military service, and can be required to file taxes in both countries. In addition, they cannot enter the U.S with a German passport and the other way around. They must present the German passport to enter Germany and the U.S passport to enter the U.S.

In another case, if an American citizen applies for naturalization in Germany, the American will have to give up their U.S citizenship to obtain the German one.

Dual Citizenship Germany/UK

As is the case with dual citizenship for U.S and Germany, the same applies to Germany and the U.K. Children born with one parent from the U.K and one from Germany have the right to retain both citizenships.

With the exit of the U.K from the EU though, the matters have become more complicated for those working and living in Germany with a UK citizenship. Germany allows dual citizenships for EU nationals, but now that the U.K will not be in the EU due to Brexit, what will happen is still unclear.

It has been proposed that UK citizens get dual nationalities for Germany so that they can have freedom of movement within the EU. This remains to be solved and is up to whether Germany will allow U.K citizens who apply for German citizenship to keep their U.K citizenship too.

Giving up the German Citizenship

German rules do not allow its citizens to give up the German citizenship. More specifically, if the German citizen wants to renounce their citizenship to avoid obligation to Germany such as taxes or military service, they will not be allowed to do this. So since you cannot give up the citizenship, you can lose it under these circumstances:

  • If you request it from the German authorities and another country has offered you citizenship
  • If a German child is adopted by a foreigner, they will lose German citizenship
  • If you join the military forces of the country where you hold another citizenship without the permission of the German authorities
  • If you obtain another citizenship, you will lose the German citizenship
  • If your citizenship has been obtained through naturalization and you lose it due to illegal activities

Renaturalization of German Citizenship

If you have renounced your German citizenship in the past or have lost it for reasons other than criminal activity, you can apply for renaturalization. The procedure will be the same as with those who apply for naturalization the first time, and you will have to give up all previous citizenships.





Related articles:
German Nationality Law
How to Get German Citizenship
How to Move to Germany
How to Get a Work Permit for Germany

You might also like:

  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • How to Act Like a Real GermanHow to Act Like a Real German
  • ReinheitsgebotReinheitsgebot
  • How to Prepare for a Trip to GermanyHow to Prepare for a Trip to Germany
  • Party Like a GermanParty Like a German
  • How to Cook Gingerbread CookiesHow to Cook Gingerbread Cookies

How to Get German Citizenship

How to Get German Citizenship

How to Get German CitizenshipGetting German Citizenship is one of the top questions we get so we have decided to summarize the information for those who are willing to get started.

The German Foreign Office quite ominously warns on its website that “German citizenship law is relatively complicated” and that they can only answer “the issues which currently dominate the inquiries”.

Becoming a German will probably mean renouncing your current citizenship, but there’s also the option to gain permanent residency. Find out what works for you.

What does it mean to have German Citizenship?

When you are living in Germany only as a permanent resident, you do not qualify as a citizen of Germany. This puts some restrictions in your status, and that is why so many permanent residents of Germany seek to get citizenship.

Having German citizenship gives you rights and freedoms that non-citizens do not have. You will have these opportunities as a German citizen:

  • The right to vote
  • The right of free movement
  • The right of assembly and association
  • The right of consular protection
  • Unrestricted access to find a job in Germany
  • The right to become a civil servant, etc.

Besides the rights as per the German constitution, you will also have the obligations and duties that each German citizen has. This includes the integration in society, respect for and obedience of all laws, and even German military service.

Types of German Citizenship

Becoming a German citizen is not possible under all circumstances. There are three general instances that can lead to you getting German citizenship.

    • By naturalization
    • By right of blood or in Latin Jus Sanguinis
    • By right of soil or in Latin Jus Soli

Getting citizenship by naturalization implies that you have fulfilled certain requirements that the German government has set and you qualify to apply for German citizenship. The other type, by right of blood or Jus Sanguinis means that you get German citizenship if you are a direct descendant of German citizens. This includes only your parents and no other relatives. By right of soil or Jus Soli means that you are born within the borders of Germany, so in German soil and that is how you get your citizenship.

All people with the exception of EU, EEA, or Swiss nationals, must fulfill requirements and fall into one of these categories for getting German citizenship.

Despite these three instances being quite straightforward, each one of them has its own rules and regulations, which we will discuss further.

German Naturalization

German naturalization means that after a certain period of living in Germany as a permanent resident, you apply to become a citizen. There are many restrictions and requirements for obtaining naturalization, so not everyone can get it.

German Citizenship Requirements for Naturalization

The requirements that you need to fulfill in order to qualify for naturalization are as follows:

  • You must have lived in Germany on a residence permit for at least 8 years, or
  • You must have lived in Germany on a residence permit for 7 years and attended an integration course (this becomes 6 years on special integration circumstances)
  • You must prove German language proficiency of at least B1
  • You must be financially able to support yourself and your family without any help from the state
  • You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record
  • You must pass a citizenship test
  • You must renounce any previous citizenships

Your residence records are in the government system so that will be an easy requirement to fulfill. For financial stability, you can submit bank statements and other documents, which state your financial situation. In addition, you must give up all previous citizenships, except if the other country does not allow it or it is impossible to give it up. This is the case with many countries in conflict, such as Syria.

One of the most important requirements in this case, which you must prove through testing is your language proficiency. You can prove that you know German up to the B1 level required by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, by providing any of these documents:

  • A German language certificate such as the Zertifikat Deutsch
  • A certification that you have obtained through an integration course, such as the “DTZ – German test for immigrants”
  • A certificate which proves you have completed a German secondary school
  • Admissions proof in a German upper secondary school
  • A certificate which proves you have completed at least 4 years of school in German with a passing grade
  • Proof of completion of higher education degrees in German

If you do not have any document, which proves your language proficiency, you can complete a government language test administered by your citizenship authority. Either way, you must know German in order to be eligible for naturalization or any other type of German citizenship.

How to apply for German Citizenship Naturalization?

If you can prove that you meet all the requirements for naturalization, you can begin your application process. All persons over the age of 16 are obliged to apply. Parents and legal guardians of children under 16 years old apply for them. The steps to applying for naturalization are as follows:

Get an application form

Since Germany is a big country, each state and place has their immigration office to apply for naturalization. To begin the process, you must get a naturalization application form from one of the following places:

  • The local immigration office
  • If you live in an urban area, go to the city council
  • If you live in a German district, go to the regional district office
  • The town council or any other local authorities

Fill the application form and start compiling a file with all documents, which prove you meet the requirements.

Pass the German Citizenship Test

To prove that you are ready to gain German citizenship, you must pass the citizenship test. This test includes 33 multiple choice questions on German living, society, rules, and laws, as well as questions specific to the place you live. The test takes one hour and you must answer at least 17 questions correctly to pass the test. When you pass the test, you will get a naturalization certificate, which you can add to your document file.

To prepare for the test, you can take an integration course, use the practice test options of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, or simply read more information on German life and laws.

The German citizenship test costs EUR 25, and the local naturalization office in your area can tell you where your nearest test center is so you can register. You need to bring a form of ID on the test day.

You can be exempt from the naturalization test if you belong to any of these groups:

  • You cannot take the test due to old age, illness, or disability
  • You are under 16 years old
  • You have a higher education degree from a German university in politics, law, or social sciences

Pay the naturalization fees

There are also certain fees associated with applying for German citizenship through naturalization. These are the fees you must pay:

  • Application form for 255 Euros for adults
  • Application form for 51 Euros for children under 16 years old
  • Naturalization/Citizenship test for 25 Euros
  • Citizenship certificate for 25 Euros

Submit all documents

Take the documents which prove you meet naturalization requirements, your application form, the receipts that you have paid all fees, and your naturalization certificate to the office from which you have taken the application form. The officers will go through your case and if approved, you will get the citizenship certificate. The certificate now proves that you are a citizen of Germany and not just a permanent resident.

German Citizenship by Marriage

People who qualify for naturalization are not only those who have had permanent residence in Germany for a specified period of time. If you marry a German citizen you can also get citizenship by applying for naturalization.

Foreign nationals who are already married to a German national must still meet all naturalization requirements and pass the test. However, they should also meet the marriage requirements. This means that the foreign national spouse cannot apply for naturalization unless, the couple has been married for at least two years and have lived in Germany for at least three years.

German Citizenship by Descent

The second type of German citizenship is by right of blood or Jus Sanguinis. This means that you have at least one German parent and it does not take into account whether you were born in Germany or not. You get the German citizenship by descent if your parents register you to the German authorities in the country you are born before you turn one year old. If your parents have different nationalities, you get the German citizenship; however, between the ages of 18 and 23 years old, you will have 5 years to decide which nationality you want to retain.

In addition, if your parents are divorced, then you can get German citizenship by descent only if your parent recognizes you as their legal child by the rules of German law.

You cannot get German citizenship if you were born in a foreign country and your German parents were also born in a foreign country after January 1st, 2000. This rule can be surpassed only if you as the child would be stateless if the German authorities did not accept you and give you a German citizenship. In addition, you cannot claim German citizenship through any other ancestors except your parents, including German citizenship through grandparents.

Another instance where you can get German citizenship through ancestry is if you were adopted by German citizens as a child under 18 years old.

German citizenship by Birth

If you do not have German parents, but are born within the borders of Germany, you qualify for citizenship by birth or by right of soil. This is also the Jus Soli citizenship. You can get this type of citizenship on the following conditions:

  • If at least one of your parents has lived in Germany for at least 8 years before the birth of the child
  • If at the time the child is born, one of the parents had a permanent residence permit

In getting this type of citizenship, the child will again have to choose the citizenship of the parents or the citizenship of Germany between the ages of 18 and 23 years old. The child must give up the nationalities of the parents in order to get the German one, or apply for dual citizenship.

Only children born after February 2nd, 1990, have the right to get this type of citizenship.





Related articles:
German Nationality Law
German Dual Citizenship
How to Move to Germany
How to Get a Work Permit for Germany

You might also like:

  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship
  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • How to Act Like a Real GermanHow to Act Like a Real German
  • Party Like a GermanParty Like a German
  • How to Prepare for a Trip to GermanyHow to Prepare for a Trip to Germany

Health Care Providers in Germany

Health Care Providers in Germany

Germany’s principal health care providers are its physicians, dentists, and three types of hospitals (public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit). The health industry also includes large pharmaceutical companies and the manufacturers of various kinds of medical supplies. Public health departments, which are operated by the Länder, are not an important part of German health care. The public health clinics in the new Länder are being phased out during the integration of the two medical systems.

Germany’s supply of physicians is high. Students who meet academic requirements have a constitutionally guaranteed right to study medicine. This fact, plus an excellent and inexpensive university system, has resulted in the country’s educating physicians at a much higher per capita rate than the United States. Between 1970 and 1990, the number of physicians in the former West Germany more than doubled, and in 1991 the country had 3.2 physicians per 1,000 population, a higher ratio than most other members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (In 1990 the United States rate was 2.3 per 1,000.) With 11.5 physician visits per person per year in 1988, West Germans and Italians went to a doctor more frequently than other Europeans. (In 1989 the United States rate was 5.3 visits per person per year.) Even so, expenditures to physicians per capita amounted to less than half (US$193) of those in the United States (US$414).

German physicians have good incomes (dentists earn even more), although their average earnings have declined from six to three times the average wage since efforts at cost containment began in the 1970s. The high number of physicians could reduce physicians’ earnings still further. In addition, many young physicians face unemployment. The GSG of 1993, for example, mandates a reduction in the number of office-based physicians who treat GKV patients (generally about 90 percent of physicians join the association that allows them this practice). The law also has the long-term goal of limiting the number of specialists in geographic areas where they are overrepresented.

German health care makes a sharp distinction between physicians who provide office-based or ambulatory care and physicians who work in hospitals. Office-based physicians are fee-for-service entrepreneurs whose incomes depend on the amount and kinds of medical care they provide. In contrast, hospital physicians are salaried employees of the hospitals in which they work. Very few hospital physicians are permitted to bill their patients. Until recent health reform legislation, the two types of physicians did not work together. Once an ambulatory-care physician decided that a patient should enter a hospital (only in emergencies could a patient go directly to a hospital), the patient’s care was entirely taken over by a hospital-based physician. When a patient left the hospital, by law he or she again came under the care of an office-based physician. Since the late 1970s, hospital-based physicians have outnumbered ambulatory-care physicians. In 1990 there were about 96,000 of the former and 75,000 of the latter in the old Länder.

The GRG aimed at encouraging a better integration of office and hospital care, but little progress was made. The GSG of 1993 intended to lessen the traditional division by, among other reforms, making it possible for hospital-based physicians to see their patients after their release from the hospital. It is expected that lessening the separation of the types of medical care will reduce overall health care costs, but as of mid-1995 no marked successes in achieving this goal had been noticed. Additionally, new budgeting rules that go into effect in 1996 may cause outpatient surgery, still unusual in Germany, to become more common by making it more profitable for hospitals.

The ownership of hospitals (there were a total of about 3,100 hospitals in the early 1990s) is the outcome of historical development and regional traditions rather than conscious policy and has resulted in three types of hospitals: public, nonprofit, and private for-profit. Each type accounts for about one-third of the hospitals. Public-sector hospitals are mostly owned by the Länder, municipalities, and counties and provide about 50 percent of all hospital beds. Nonprofit hospitals, typically run by Catholic or Protestant organizations, provide about 35 percent of the beds, and for-profit hospitals account for 15 percent.




Germany has too many hospital resources. In 1988 the ratio of 10.9 patient beds per 1,000 population in the former West Germany was higher than the OECD average. The number of admissions as a percentage of the total German population was 21.5 percent, significantly above the OECD average of 16.1 percent. The average length of stay of 16.6 days was below the OECD average but quite high by United States standards. Germany’s inpatient occupancy rate was 86.5 percent, also fairly high by international standards.

The average length of hospital stay in Germany has decreased in recent years from 14 days to 9 days, still considerably longer than average stays in the United States (5 to 6 days). Part of the difference is that the chief consideration for hospital reimbursement is the number of hospital days as opposed to procedures or diagnosis. Drug costs have increased substantially, rising nearly 60% from 1991 through 2005. Despite attempts to contain costs, overall health care expenditures rose to 10.7% of GDP in 2005, comparable to other western European nations, but substantially less than that spent in the U.S. (nearly 16% of GDP)

Between 1972 and 1986, the federal government and the Länder were jointly responsible for hospital policy making, but in 1986 the Land governments once again assumed sole responsibility. Länder own and partially finance medical school hospitals and accredited teaching hospitals. They enforce accreditation and licensing of health facilities and of health professionals working in social services. The Länder are responsible for policy development and implementation of social and nursing services, social assistance, youth services, and social work. Most important, the Länder remain responsible for the effective and efficient allocation and distribution of hospital resources.

According to the statistics  Germany has the highest number of dentists in Europe – 64,287 in 2015.



Related articles:
Healthcare in Germany
Development of the Health Care System in Germany

You might also like:

  • Gun Laws in GermanyGun Laws in Germany
  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • German DreamGerman Dream
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • 15 Curious Facts about Germany15 Curious Facts about Germany
  • Public Etiquette in GermanyPublic Etiquette in Germany
  • Things to Consider Before Buying Property in GermanyThings to Consider Before Buying Property in Germany
  • The Cost of Living in Germany for Foreign StudentsThe Cost of Living in Germany for Foreign Students

Euro Is Here

Euro Is Here

Euro coins and banknotes came in circulation in 12 participating European countries on January 1, 2002

euro

The banknotes and coins of the single currency of the European Monetary Union entered circulation on January 1, 2002. For the first time since the Roman empire, Europe shares a common legal tender. The launch of the euro, which has been an accounting currency since January 1, 1999, marks the largest monetary changeover in world history.

Euro notes and coins are quite colorful. The design for the seven banknotes gives each denomination a dominant color and unique size. Windows, gateways and bridges depict the architectural styles of Europe from Classical times to the 20th century. The small coins – .01, .02, .05 – are copper in color. The .10, .20, and .50 euro coins are composed of Nordic gold and are gold-toned. The 1 and 2 euro coins are two-toned, nickel and brass. They feature images of maps or globes and national symbols. Color is an important part of the design of each note. €5 is gray, €10 – red, €20 – blue, €50 – orange, €100 – green, €200 – yellow, €500 – purple.

Euro comes in the following denominations:
Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500
Coins: .01, .02, .05, .10, .20, .50, 1, and 2

As of January 1, 2001, the euro zone countries are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Each banknote and each coin, regardless of design, is valid in each country of the euro zone. The banknotes are identical across the euro zone. The coins feature images linked to national identities – Germany’s Brandenburg Gate on one version of the .10, .20 and .50 coins and Portugal’s royal seal of 1142 on another version, for example.

There is no time limit on exchanges and the old national currencies will never lose in exchange value. All bank branches will exchange marks for euros until February 28, 2002. After that, exchanges can only be made at branches of state banks, regardless of amount.

The euro symbol, €, was inspired by the Greek letter epsilon and is thereby a reference to Greece as the cradle of European civilization and to the first letter of the word Europe. The parallel lines represent the stability of the euro. The official abbreviation of euro is EUR. The plural of euro is euros. You can type the € symbol using your keyboard. Many keyboards used in Europe already have a euro key. In the U.S. only a tiny number are likely to have this feature. Later versions of Microsoft Word have keyboard combinations to create the € symbol. For U.S. keyboards press Alt + 5 or Alt + 0128 (on number pad at right on keyboard).

You might also like:

  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • ReinheitsgebotReinheitsgebot
  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship

All Facts About Germany

You might also like:

  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship
  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • ReinheitsgebotReinheitsgebot

Transportation Future

Transportation Future

CargoLifter-HangarTransportation Means of the Future
… comes from the past!

Not far south of Berlin one can see a fantastic-movie picture: a giant building is standing and sparkling in the sun. This is a hangar where CargoLifter AG produces dirigibles, majestic airships that came into life as Zeppelins, named after their inventor, Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin.

The dimensions let us get the idea of how really huge the hangar is. It is 360 m long, 210 m wide, 107 m tall, and contains 5.5 million cubic meters of air. The picture of the full-size hangar can be taken at the distance of no less than one kilometer away from it.


CLairships

 

Top-down: Joey, Charly, CL 75 AC

The company has already built three airships – Joey, Charly, and CL 75 AirCrane. Unlike their hydrogen-filled predecessors, these airships are filled with the non-flammable gas helium, which makes this “lighter-than-air” transport safe. The target of CargoLifter is CL 160 which will be able to carry loads with a volume of 3200 cubic meters (50m x 8m x 8m) and weighing up to 160 tons, over a maximum distance of 10000 kilometers. CL 160 belongs to semi-rigid airships, also known as keeled airships.

The envelope is not stretched over the rigid structure (as it was with the Zeppelins) and maintains its shape through its internal pressure. However, the aluminum keel is attached to the bottom of the envelope, which takes on freight and distributes the weight of the payload along the entire length of the envelope. Engines, fuel tanks, flight deck and crew cabin are integrated in the keel.

Cargolifter_cl160When it is finished, CL 160 will be 260 m long, 65 m in diameter, 550000 cubic meters in volume, and will be able to fly at the speed of 90 km/h. The key advantage of an airship in the CargoLifter transport system will be its ability to operate as a flying crane without landing. The CL 160 will be able to exchange its cargo from an altitude of about 100 m with the help of specially developed load exchange process.

Thus, CargoLifter is not only an airship project, but rather a logistical innovation. Market studies have shown that the future belongs to airship transportation. It will be especially efficient for transporting large components that usually need to be disassembled and then reassembled after transportation which is very time-consuming and costly. Airships are also super effective in transporting loads to out-of-the-way regions where ground and sea transportation is impossible. CargoLifter will also be active in the humanitarian aid sector.

Photos courtesy of CargoLifter AG

Author – Tatyana Gordeeva

Related articles:
The Death of the Hindenburg
Zeppelin Airships
Zeppelins the Bombers

You might also like:

  • German Dog Breeds: Great DaneGerman Dog Breeds: Great Dane
  • German DreamGerman Dream
  • Gun Laws in GermanyGun Laws in Germany
  • The Cost of Living in Germany for Foreign StudentsThe Cost of Living in Germany for Foreign Students
  • German Dog BreedsGerman Dog Breeds
  • German Card GamesGerman Card Games
  • Maternity Leave Law in GermanyMaternity Leave Law in Germany
  • Small Talk in GermanySmall Talk in Germany

The Death of the Hindenburg

The Death of the Hindenburg

Hindenburg-deathHindenburg was a masterpiece of zeppelin design. Equipped with four 1200 hp Mercedes Benz engines, having 245 m in length, about 41 m in diameter and almost 212000 cubic meters of gas volume, she still holds the record of the largest airship ever built and flying. She can be truly called the Titanic of the aircraft.

Although the Hindenburg is most famous for her fiery death, she was not initially meant to be filled with hydrogen at all. Dr. Hugo Eckner, at that time the chairman of the Zeppelin company, had decided that it would be wiser to fill his new ship with the nonflammable gas helium. However the dream was not to come true. Here goes the explanation.

In order to remain afloat, the Zeppelin Company had to accept large sums of money from the government led at that time by the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler. The Hindenburg and the Graf Zeppelin – the two most majestic airships – carried the swastika signs on their tail fins and participated in many propaganda shows, flying all over Germany and dropping leaflets and pamphlets illustrating the power of the Nazi.

The United States, having the only natural deposits of helium in the world, were getting more and more suspicious of Hitler and his Third Reich. They wondered if the zeppelin could be used for military purposes such as they were in WWI. Although the head of the Zeppelin Company never belonged to the Nazi movement and criticized it, the U.S. Congress came to the decision that it was impossible to let the Germans have helium for their new airship. Thus, the Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen. Now that the grand ship was fully ready to fly, it took off to the sky on March 4, 1936. The tests went well, and the Hindenburg was scheduled to start carrying passengers across Europe and North and South America.

The LZ129 (the Hindenburg) contained many novelties and was a luxurious airship. For example, she carried the passengers inside her huge hull instead of the gondola section, as it was done before. She was also equipped with a room for smokers, which was astonishing for an airship inflated with hydrogen. However everything was foreseen: the room was lined with asbestos and built with an airlock which would keep any flames from spreading to the rest of the ship. All lighters and matches were removed from the passengers and kept under lock and key until the end of the flight, and there was the only lighter fixed on a table in the smokers’ room.

The mighty Hindenburg was not a longliver of a zeppelin. She made only a few breathtaking flights before her destruction. … It was her first flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Lakehurst, New Jersey. The airship left Germany on May 3, 1937, and reached the destination on May 6. There were 96 people on board – 36 passengers and 61 crew-men. It was an impressive and thrilling sight – an enormous zeppelin floating smoothly across the sky. A numerous audience was watching the airship at Lakehurst. Suddenly a tongue of flame embraced the tail and spread with a horrifying speed all over the zeppelin, turning it into a fire ball. In less than a minute the giant creature crashed onto the ground. She took the lives of 36 people – 13 passengers, 22 crew-men, and 1 civilian member of the ground crew. Nobody knows why it happened. There are many versions: a) sabotage; b) stroke of lightning; c) carefully planned insurance fraud. Nobody can tell for sure, but at that time two things were clear – that German engineers are not that impeccable as they were thought of before the tragedy, and that commercial airships do not have future.

Nowadays, a century after the first zeppelin’s flight, the German giants are getting revived.





Related articles:
Transportation Future
Zeppelin Airships
Zeppelins the Bombers

You might also like:

  • How to Get a Work Permit for GermanyHow to Get a Work Permit for Germany
  • How to Move to GermanyHow to Move to Germany
  • How to Get German CitizenshipHow to Get German Citizenship
  • German Dual CitizenshipGerman Dual Citizenship
  • ReinheitsgebotReinheitsgebot
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

Coronavirus in Germany: Drastic Measures

Coronavirus in Germany: Drastic Measures

Bavarian Alps

Bavarian Alps

Prinzregententorte – Bavarian Layered Chocolate Cake

Prinzregententorte – Bavarian Layered Chocolate Cake

Donauwelle Kuchen

Donauwelle Kuchen

German Flag Origin

German Flag Origin

Copyright © 2021 · German Culture