Germans call the moment of marriage the Jawort, the yes-word. At the registry office, the registrar is to ask the two partners one by one ob sie die Ehe miteinander eingehen wollen, whether they want to marry each other. Only after both have answered yes does he declare them married. This is Section 1312 of the Civil Code. Section 1311 requires both to make the declaration in person, with both present at the same time. It adds one more sentence. Die Erklärungen können nicht unter einer Bedingung oder Zeitbestimmung abgegeben werden. The declarations cannot be made subject to a condition or a time limit. A partner who answers with a joke, a doubt or a condition can stop the ceremony. The newspaper Nordkurier put the rule in one line. Im Zweifel darf die Ehe nicht geschlossen werden. If there is doubt, the marriage may not take place.