In Lower Saxony’s second state exam in law, each written paper carries a code number instead of a name. A first examiner and a second examiner grade it. A federal ordinance defines the grades for the law exams in words. Befriedigend is a performance that meets average requirements in every respect. Mangelhaft is a performance that is, on the whole, no longer usable. Ungenügend is a performance that is completely unusable. In 2018, 27.9 percent of candidates across Germany failed the state part of the first exam.
Places to Study Medicine
On December 19, 2017, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled on how places to study medicine are given out. The rules must in principle follow dem Kriterium der Eignung, the criterion of aptitude. The court accepted the Abitur grade as a measure of aptitude. It struck down rules that put a student’s preferred location ahead of grades. It also struck down unlimited waiting time, and it gave the legislators until December 31, 2019, to write new rules.
The Federal Youth Games
The Bundesjugendspiele, the Federal Youth Games, are compulsory for pupils up to grade 10 at general schools. The name has been used since 1952. In the classic form, a table sets the minimum points for an Ehrenurkunde, a certificate of honor, or a Siegerurkunde, a winner’s certificate. A child with fewer points receives a certificate of participation. The child is measured against a published number. Since the 2023–24 school year, primary schools must use a different form. In it, children are ranked within their group, and the top 20 percent receive the certificate of honor.
The Marker in the Master-Singers
Richard Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg premiered in Munich on June 21, 1868. The town clerk Beckmesser holds the guild office of Merker, the marker. In the first act, the young knight Walther sings for admission to the guild. Beckmesser writes each of his faults on a slate with chalk, loudly. Because of the many faults, the masters decide that Walther has versungen, sung himself out. The real Hans Sachs, who lived from 1494 to 1576 and belonged to the Nuremberg guild, once proposed that the judgment of master-songs should not be left to the four markers alone. Several times a year, the audience should judge.
Klose and the Handball Goal
In the 2012–13 season, Miroslav Klose played for Lazio Rome in the Italian Serie A. In the fourth minute of a top match against Napoli, he scored with his hand. The Napoli players protested. Klose told the referee that the ball had touched his hand. The goal did not count, and Lazio lost 0 to 3. The German Football Association gave him its medal Fair ist mehr, fair is more, for the second time. Fiorentina gave him its Violette Karte, an award for honesty in sport.
The Driving Test
In 2025, 44 percent of the theory tests for a car license in Germany ended in failure. In the practical test, the share was 37 percent. The figures count first attempts and repeat attempts together. In 2024 the failure rate was 45 percent in theory and also 37 percent in practice.
What a School Grade Means
The German states agreed on the meaning of school grades in 1968. Each grade describes how far the work meets den Anforderungen, the requirements. A 1, sehr gut, means the work meets the requirements to a special degree. A 3, befriedigend, means it meets the requirements in general. A 6, ungenügend, means it does not meet them and the gaps cannot be closed soon. Fifteen of the sixteen states also set the written Abitur papers centrally. Rhineland-Palatinate is the only exception. In Bavaria, the ministry has set the Abitur papers since 1854.
Obedience to the Law
Section 11 of the Soldiers Act requires soldiers to obey their superiors. It then adds: Ein Befehl darf nicht befolgt werden, wenn dadurch eine Straftat begangen würde. An order must not be obeyed if obeying it would commit a crime. Civil servants carry die volle persönliche Verantwortung, full personal responsibility, for the lawfulness of their official acts. If they have doubts about an instruction, they must raise them with their superior, and then with the next level up. They can ask for the confirmation in writing. Once the instruction is confirmed, they must carry it out, and they are released from their own responsibility. This does not apply if the act violates human dignity, or if it is a criminal or administrative offense that the civil servant can recognize as such.
Applications Without Names
In November 2010, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency started a pilot project with companies, public authorities and municipalities. Applications arrived without the applicant’s name, photo and similar details. Invitations to interview were to be made ausschließlich aufgrund der Qualifikation, solely on the basis of qualification. The study that went with the pilot found positive effects. According to press reports, the participating companies saw no additional benefit in the method. The German employers’ federation rejects it. The town of Celle still uses it.
A Rule Is a Rule
Vorschrift ist Vorschrift — a rule is a rule.
Gleiches Recht für alle — equal rights for all.
Da könnte ja jeder kommen! — then anyone could come along! The standard reply to a request for special treatment.
Ohne Ansehen der Person — without regard to the person. A phrase from the judge’s oath that is also used in everyday speech.