After Prussia’s defeat by Napoleon, a regulation of 6 August 1808 redefined who could become an officer. Einen Anspruch auf Offiziersstellen sollen von nun an in Friedenszeiten nur Kenntnisse und Bildung gewähren, in Kriegszeiten ausgezeichnete Tapferkeit und Überblick. From now on, only knowledge and education shall give a claim to officer posts in peacetime, and in wartime outstanding bravery and overview. Aller bisher stattgehabte Vorzug des Standes hört beim Militär ganz auf. All privilege of rank that has existed until now ends completely in the military. In practice, men of common birth rose mainly in the engineers and the artillery. The cavalry stayed closed to them.
No Professor From the Own House
Most German states restrict universities from appointing their own staff to professorships. The higher education law of North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, says that academic staff of the university itself can be considered only in justified exceptional cases. The rule is called the Hausberufungsverbot, the ban on in-house appointments. A legal commentary in the journal Forschung & Lehre gives its purpose. It ensures that candidates’ qualifications are judged from outside, and it guards against academic patronage.
Years Before Each Rank
In the Bundeswehr, rank comes with time. The soldiers’ career regulation sets minimum periods for officers, counted from their appointment as lieutenant. Promotion to captain is allowed after five years. Promotion to major is allowed after nine years. Even for flying personnel, combat swimmers and the special forces, these periods are shortened by only six months.
Who Offers the Du
Traditionally, German colleagues begin with Sie, the formal you. Moving to du, the familiar you, is a step that one side offers. The German Knigge Society, which advises on manners, gives the rule. Der Vorgesetzte bietet dem Untergebenen das „Du“ an. The superior offers the du to the subordinate. Among equals, the older may offer it to the younger. The Society for the German Language observed in 2020 that Germans use du more often now. But it added that the du does not mean the hierarchy has gone.
Minimum Ages for the Highest Courts
A judge of the Federal Constitutional Court must be at least 40 years old. A judge of the Federal Court of Justice, the highest court for civil and criminal cases, must be at least 35.