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Image: Uli Deck/dpa/picture alliance
Image: Uli Deck/dpa/picture alliance
Germany's Basic Law
The Basic Law is the Federal Republic of Germany's constitution, which came into effect in May 1949.
Skip next section All Content on this topic
All Content on this topic
What next for Germany after government collapse? A timeline
With the collapse of the fractious governing coalition, Germany faces an early election. DW explains the next steps.
What is Germany's debt brake?
Germany's government reportedly collapsed because of differences over a borrowing ban called the debt brake. What is it?
Germany moves to protect top court against far right
As far-right populists gain ground in Germany, the government is working to protect this bastion of democracy.
LGBTQ+ rights in Germany: Protected in the constitution?
Germany wants to add the protection of sexual identity into the constitution, but conservative lawmakers are opposed.
Top German court finds fault with electoral law reform
Germany's Constitutional Court says parts of a reform to limit the size of the Bundestag is partly unconstitutional.
German president warns democracy faces new challenges
The German president has given a speech on the role of the "Basic Law" in bolstering a free democratic state.
Germany marks 75 years of post-WWII constitution
Adopted on May 23rd, 1949, Germany's constitution enshrines human dignity at its core.
Germany's constitution and its 75-year history
Adopted by West Germany in 1949, the constitution has been amended many times, with some controversial additions.
Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe
A visit to the Reichstag in Berlin, painting with menstrual blood and baking communion wafers.
75 years of Germany's Basic Law: Cornerstone of democracy
DW's Hannah Hummel visits the Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament, where the country's laws are made.
Three perspectives: What does German citizenship mean?
What does the German passport mean for people with different backgrounds?
Far-right AfD: How should German media deal with the party?
Whether public or private, German media outlets have struggled to find a way to report about the far-right party.
Israel-Gaza demonstrations: What is allowed in Germany?
When can demonstrations be banned and why? An overview of the legal situation in Germany.
Right-wing extremists in Germany's judiciary?
Lay judges hand down verdicts alongside professionals. The posts seem attractive for people with unconstitutional views.
Time for mandatory vaccinations
Ines Eisele
Some argue a vaccine mandate would be unlawful, or would divide society. But these are just excuses to do nothing.
How the military is helping in Germany's flood-hit areas
The German military is deploying soldiers to help with relief efforts in the flood regions of western Germany.
Freedom of assembly in Germany
Germany has strict laws protecting freedom of assembly - but also strong regulations on how it can be implemented.
Can German courts overturn all lockdown measures?
As Germany has gone into partial lockdown, the measures are being challenged in court.
Berlin coronavirus protests trigger debate on basic rights
Images of protesters storming the Reichstag building in Berlin have fueled a debate on banning such demonstrations.
Germany's heated debate over 'race' in the constitution
There are calls to remove the term race from the German Constitution. But not everyone agrees.
Greens want term 'race' removed from German constitution
Two prominent Green politicians have called for the term "race" to be removed from German discrimination law.
Suspending parliament: Why it can't happen in Germany
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's constitutional maneuvers to prorogue parliament would be unthinkable in Germany.
Forfeiting basic rights under the constitution?
The former secretary-general of the CDU wants enemies of the constitution to forfeit important basic rights.
Germany: Equal rights for people with disabilities
Natalie Dedreux fights for equal rights for the disabled and against tests for the early detection of the Down syndrome.
World Stories - The Week in Reports
Street children in Ethiopia, missing in Sri Lanka, petition against free blood tests in Germany
'Dignity for the homeless!'
Dominik Bloh wants to give homeless people a shower bus. "Being able to wash oneself is dignity," he says.
President calls for decency on German Basic Law anniversary
Germany's president said that "hatred and enmity" were starting to poison political debate.
The influence of the German constitution in Africa
The German Basic Law functioned as a model for the postapartheid constitution in South Africa.
The significance of Germany's Basic Law
Germany must work hard to preserve its democracy, argues former constitutional judge Udo Di Fabio.
The German constitution: Putting people first
The radical humanism of the German Basic Law was a response to the bitter experiences of the Nazi dictatorship.
Germany's Basic Law turns 70
"A stroke of luck in German history": Bundestag president Wolfgang Schäuble speaks to DW.
Human rights come first
Alexander Görlach
When it comes to drafting a constitution the concrete details aren't what's important, writes Alexander Görlach.
Merkel: We 'must be a country of immigration'
The chancellor has marked 70 years since the signing of Germany's Basic Law with a speech for young immigrants.
Germany's education system to go digital
Schools are set to move into the digital era, after Germany's upper house voted to change the constitution.
Abandoning German history
Jens Thurau
Friedrich Merz takes an ax to the right to asylum — a watershed moment in German postwar history, writes Jens Thurau.
Hesse: Where the death penalty won't get you killed
A referendum to reform Hesse's constitution saw a clear majority in favor of scrapping the death penalty.
AfD hired far-right suspect?
Newspaper Die Zeit says Bundestag staff have denied entry to a soldier recruited part-time by an AfD deputy.
Passport denial for German 'jihadis'?
German dual nationals turned jihadists should be denied German passports, says Bavaria's Stephan Mayer,
Hatred and passivity bear fruit in Germany
Hans Pfeifer
A German court has sentenced the members of a far-right terrorist group to long prison terms.
Tips for Carnival in Cologne
Follow Cologne's "Basic Law" for Carnival — and enjoy what people there call the "fifth season."
Call for child rights in German constitution
Advocacy groups in Germany want the next government to incorporate the rights of children and teens into the Basic Law.
Bundestag targets extremist parties
Germany's parliament has changed the constitution so that extremist parties can no longer claim government funds.
The German Basic Law: freedom of expression
Freedom of expression is a basic right in Germany, but it does not cover libel or slander.
The German Basic Law: freedom of religion
There is no official state religion in Germany. People are free to choose their own.
The German Basic Law: human dignity
Which set of ethical values, rules and laws form the basis of German society today?
The German Basic Law: equality
What you need to know about Germany's Basic Law: Men and women have the same rights, even if this is not always really the case.
Germany's Basic Law ensures separation of powers
The Basic Law divides power among the chancellor, the president, the parliament and other state institutions.
The German Basic Law: citizenship
A child born to German parents is a German citizen. But other possibilities exist, too.
Berlin court rules for Facebook over grieving parents
Facebook was right to reject mother access to dead daughter's account, a German court has ruled.
What you need to know about Germany's 'Basic Law'
DW explains how Germany's Basic Law sets out the guidelines for the society to operate.
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