During football tournaments, Germans say the country has as many Bundestrainer, national coaches, as it has inhabitants. In July 2026 a Berliner Zeitung columnist recalled the saying that 84 Millionen Bundestrainer sat in front of screens and in pubs and joined the discussion. During the Covid pandemic the saying moved into medicine. In May 2020 the comedian Carolin Kebekus mocked the 80 Millionen Hobby-Virologen, the 80 million amateur virologists, in a video released ahead of her ARD show.
The Minister on Insolvency
In September 2022, during the energy crisis, Economics Minister Robert Habeck was asked on the ARD talk show Maischberger whether bakeries and other small firms faced insolvency. He answered: Und dann sind die nicht insolvent automatisch, aber sie hören vielleicht auf zu verkaufen. Then they are not automatically insolvent, but they may stop selling. The trade paper Deutsche Handwerks Zeitung wrote of the Unkenntnis, the lack of knowledge, that the minister partly showed. Two days later the president of the Leipzig chamber of crafts said the minister was not familiar nicht einmal mit dem kleinen Einmaleins der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, not even with the basic times table of business administration. The chamber offered to put together a training course in insolvency law for him.
The Referral
German doctors are bound by the professional codes of their medical chambers. The code of the medical chamber of North Rhine says that where diagnosis and treatment require it, doctors must call in other doctors in good time, oder ihnen die Patientin oder den Patienten zur Fortsetzung der Behandlung zu überweisen, or refer the patient to them to continue the treatment. Patients know the result as the Überweisung, the referral slip from the family doctor to the specialist.
The Tax Adviser’s Exam
In Germany only certain persons may give tax advice on a business basis. Section 5 of the Tax Advisers Act limits it to those named in the preceding sections: tax advisers, lawyers, auditors and a few others. The tax adviser’s exam has three written papers of six hours each and an oral exam of up to 90 minutes. A candidate may retake it at most twice. In the exam year 2024/25, 52.1 percent of candidates passed nationwide.
Legal Advice From the Qualified Only
The Rechtsdienstleistungsgesetz, the Legal Services Act of 2007, decides who may give legal advice outside court in Germany. Its stated purpose is to protect people who seek legal help vor unqualifizierten Rechtsdienstleistungen, from unqualified legal services. A legal service is any work in someone else’s concrete matter that requires a legal examination of the individual case. Offering it independently is not allowed unless a law permits it. A neighbor may help with a letter to the landlord for free. An association that gives free legal advice to strangers needs a lawyer or a similarly qualified person behind it. A business needs a specific permission under the act.
In 2021 the Federal Court of Justice drew the limit of this rule. The Hamburg bar association had sued the publisher of Smartlaw, an online generator that builds contracts from a user’s answers. The court dismissed the suit. The offer was abstract and not aimed at a concrete individual case, so it was not a legal service.
Words for What Is Included
der Leistungsumfang — the scope of services, a standard heading in quotes and contracts
im Leistungsumfang enthalten — included in the scope of services
nicht im Angebot enthalten — not included in the quote
gegen Aufpreis — for a surcharge
Das war so nicht vereinbart. — That is not what we agreed.
eine Extrawurst — an extra sausage: special treatment outside the normal arrangement, as in Er will immer eine Extrawurst, he always wants special treatment
The Thesis Topic on Record
A bachelor’s thesis at a German university begins with the formal issue of a topic. At the University of Göttingen, the 2003 rules for agricultural studies said the first examiner assigns the topic after hearing the student and puts it on record, aktenkundig gemacht. The working period of twelve weeks started that day. The topic could be handed back only once, and only within the first third of the period. A 2025 amendment at the Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences in Bochum allows a return only within the first two weeks.
Delivery in Week 23
In German business, delivery dates and project deadlines are often given as a calendar week: Lieferung in KW 23, delivery in calendar week 23. Office calendars and many wall calendars print the week numbers. In 2013 the IT magazine Computerwoche wrote that whether for finishing IT projects or for announced delivery dates, die Kalenderwoche oder kurz KW is still a fixed reference in working life.
Rights Read by the Purpose
A photographer, designer or programmer in Germany who lets a client use a work grants no more than the contract names or its purpose requires. Section 31 of the Copyright Act sets the rule. If the types of use are not listed one by one, the purpose of the contract decides which uses are covered. Lawyers call this the Zweckübertragungslehre, the doctrine of transfer by purpose. An IT law firm explains its effect. Rights of use die Tendenz haben, am Urheber zu kleben, tend to stick to the author. In case of doubt, each grant is read so eng wie möglich, as narrowly as possible.
The Removal Firm’s Fixed Price
Before a move, a German removal firm usually inspects the apartment and the goods to be moved. The consumer advice centers recommend agreeing a fixed price in most cases. The fixed price covers only what was agreed. So der Leistungsumfang beim Festpreis sollte daher vorher möglichst exakt bestimmt werden. The scope of services should be set as exactly as possible in advance. The written offer should list every agreed service, vom Aufstellen des Halteverbotsschilds vorm Haus, from putting up the no-parking sign in front of the house to the outside lift, packing material and assembly work.