German tax law gives immunity from punishment to a tax evader who corrects his tax returns in a Selbstanzeige, a self-disclosure. The immunity does not apply if the offense had already been discovered, in whole or in part, at that time, and the offender knew this or should have expected it (§ 371 AO). On 15 January 2013, his bank called Uli Hoeneß, the president of Bayern Munich, after a reporter from the magazine Stern had been asking questions at the bank. Early on 17 January 2013 he filed a self-disclosure. The tax office found that it was not a vollständige und einwandfreie Selbstanzeige, a complete and correct self-disclosure, and the court ruled it invalid. He was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for evading 28.5 million euros in tax. Hoeneß had said he filed on 12 January. That date later turned out to be untrue.
Canceling an Appointment
Sobald du weißt, dass du einen Termin nicht wahrnehmen kannst, sage den Termin ab. (As soon as you know you cannot keep an appointment, cancel it.) This is a rule in a guide on canceling appointments, published by Utopia.de in January 2025. The guide adds: Kurzfristig absagen ist besser als nicht absagen. (Canceling at short notice is better than not canceling.) A doctor’s appointment should be canceled at least 24 hours ahead.
Words for Keeping a Promise
Versprochen ist versprochen — a promise is a promise.
Zu seinem Wort stehen — to stand by one’s word.
Verbindlich zusagen — to accept in a binding way. Said of a person, unverbindlich means noncommittal, and it is not praise.
Bescheid sagen — to let someone know. Sag rechtzeitig Bescheid — let me know in good time.
Absagen — to cancel. An appointment is canceled, not simply missed.
Eine Vorwarnung geben — to give advance warning.
Hält, was es verspricht — it keeps what it promises, a standard phrase of praise for a product.
The Airport Opening That Was Called Off
Berlin’s new airport, BER, was due to open on 3 June 2012. On 8 May 2012, four weeks before that date, the opening was called off because of problems with the fire protection system. Terminal 1 finally opened on 31 October 2020.
Files examined by the Berlin parliament’s inquiry show that it had been clear inside the airport company since the end of 2011 at the latest that the date was in danger. In March 2012, McKinsey wrote to the management that a delay of almost four months ist bis zur Inbetriebnahme nicht aufzuholen, could not be made up before opening. According to an internal email, the managing director Manfred Körtgen wanted the word äußerst, extremely, removed from the critical paths in a controlling report. Körtgen later told the committee that he did not remember giving that instruction. A member of the supervisory board later said: Auf jeden Fall wurden wir falsch informiert. (In any case, we were given false information.)
A Bishop Resigns
On the night of 20 February 2010, Margot Käßmann drove through a red light in Hanover with a blood alcohol level of 1.54 per mille. She was bishop of Hanover and chair of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany. The council unanimously expressed its confidence in her. Four days later she resigned from both offices. Am vergangenen Samstag habe ich einen schweren Fehler gemacht, den ich zutiefst bereue. Last Saturday I made a serious mistake, which I deeply regret. She said that she could not stay in office with the authority it needs.
The Relotius Case
The statute of Der Spiegel says that every fact in the magazine must be correct: müssen unbedingt zutreffen. Its documentation department, with more than 80 staff, is considered the largest of any news magazine in the world. On 19 December 2018 Der Spiegel made public that Claas Relotius, one of its most prominent writers, had invented large parts of his reports. His colleague Juan Moreno had noticed contradictions, checked the facts and reported his suspicion to the heads of the section. They reacted with skepticism. Der Spiegel called the case a low point in its 70-year history, and a commission examined why its checking systems had failed.
Who writes, remains
Wer schreibt, der bleibt — who writes, remains. A German saying about the authority of the written record, used in meetings about who is taking the minutes.
Papier ist geduldig — paper is patient, the counter-saying, warning that writing something down does not make it true.
Das steht so im Prozess — that is how it stands in the process. Offered in German discussion as a reason, and usually accepted as one.
The specialist department
German organisations give the technically competent function authority over how its work is done, and the phrase das ist Sache der Fachabteilung — that is the specialist department’s affair — settles a question by naming who owns it.
Cobbler, stay with your lasts
Cobbler, stay with your lasts.
The story is from Pliny the Elder. A shoemaker criticized the sandal in a painting by Apelles, and the painter corrected it. When the cobbler went on to criticize the leg, the painter told him to stop.
The German use of the phrase is not an instruction in modesty. It asserts the opposite of what it appears to say: within your last, your judgment outranks anyone’s.
No reminder needed when the date was agreed
German law normally requires the creditor to send a reminder before the debtor is formally in default. But where the parties have fixed a performance date by the calendar, no reminder is required at all — § 286 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 BGB. Default begins the moment the date passes.
The Latin maxim is quoted in German textbooks: dies interpellat pro homine — the day admonishes in place of the man.
A German who agreed a date does not expect to be chased, and the law agrees with him.