Every word spoken in a plenary session of the German Bundestag goes into the Plenarprotokoll, the plenary record. The stenographers note everything from speeches to interjections, applause and objections. They relieve each other every five minutes. By the next working day the complete record of a debate is available. Members may correct the text of their speeches. Korrekturen dürfen den Sinn der Rede oder einzelner Teile nicht verändern. Corrections may not change the meaning of the speech or of any part of it.
The Deleted Phone
In 2019 and 2020 a committee of inquiry of the Bundestag examined the Defense Ministry’s use of outside consultants. In August 2019 the data on one of the official phones Ursula von der Leyen had used as defense minister was deleted. The ministry confirmed it. The Green member Tobias Lindner filed a criminal complaint on suspicion of Beweismittelvernichtung, destruction of evidence. On February 13, 2020, von der Leyen testified before the committee. She told the members that she had deleted her chats regularly.
No Title Before Publication
In Germany a doctorate is not complete when the oral exam is passed. The thesis must first be published. The University of Göttingen states the rule plainly: Vorher darf der Doktorgrad nicht geführt werden. Before that, the doctoral degree may not be used. Göttingen allows two years after the oral exam. At LMU Munich, a candidate who chooses conventional printing must deliver 80 copies, the Pflichtexemplare. If the final, extended deadline passes, the rights earned by the exam lapse.
Not in the Files, Not in the World
Quod non est in actis, non est in mundo. What is not in the files is not in the world. In German the maxim reads Was nicht in den Akten ist, ist nicht in der Welt. It comes from written court procedure, in which nothing could be considered that was not in the court files. Berlin’s administration puts the same idea in a handbook for its officials. They must keep files and darin ihr Handeln vollständig, nachvollziehbar und transparent dokumentieren, document their actions in them completely, traceably and transparently. In 2017 the legal journalist Martin Rath called the maxim eine billige Weisheit, a cheap wisdom. He also wrote that the file is a Mittel der Vernunft, an instrument of reason.
Notice Only on Paper
Under Section 623 of the German Civil Code, an employment relationship can be ended by notice or by a termination agreement only in writing. The sentence ends: die elektronische Form ist ausgeschlossen, the electronic form is excluded. Notice by e-mail is therefore not possible.
A License for the Club Coach
A coach in a German sports club can earn a license under the guidelines of the German Olympic Sports Confederation. The first level requires 120 teaching units of training. The license is valid for four years. To renew it, the holder must complete at least 15 teaching units of further training. In the Rhine-Berg district, for example, a holder whose license has lapsed for more than five years must normally take the full course again.
The Master Craftsman Goes to University
Since a resolution of the Conference of Education Ministers in March 2009, a master craftsman in Germany may study at a university without the Abitur, the high-school diploma. The Meister title opens den allgemeinen Hochschulzugang, general access to higher education. Holders of similar advanced vocational qualifications, such as technicians, have the same right. Others with vocational qualifications get access to subjects related to their field.
In Black and White
In the study scene of Goethe’s Faust I, a young student asks for advice. Mephistopheles tells him to take notes as if the Holy Spirit were dictating. The student answers: Denn, was man schwarz auf weiß besitzt, / Kann man getrost nach Hause tragen. For what one has in black and white, one can carry home with confidence. Schwarz auf weiß, black on white, is the everyday German phrase for something in writing.
In the play the line is usually read as ironic. Mephistopheles is teasing a student who trusts paper.
A Protected Title
In Germany the title Psychotherapeut, psychotherapist, is protected by law. Under the Psychotherapists Act of November 15, 2019, in force since September 1, 2020, anyone who wants to practice psychotherapy under that title needs the Approbation, the state license to practice. Apart from licensed psychotherapists and a few other authorized groups, only physicians may use the title.
The Jury’s Word Is Final
Since 1964, young musicians in Germany have competed in Jugend musiziert, youth makes music. They play first at regional level, then at state level, then in the federal competition. More than three quarters of a million young people took part in the first 56 years. At every level the juries are made up of qualifizierte Fachleute, qualified specialists. They award up to 25 points. A soloist goes on from the state to the federal competition only with 25 points. The rules say: Die Entscheidungen der Jurygremien sind unanfechtbar. The juries’ decisions cannot be challenged.