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Questions tagged [germany]

Jurisdiction of Germany.

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4 answers
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In Germany, is it allowed for an employer to ask an employee to quit his job and threaten to find a critical error to end the contract immediately?

My employer threatened me verbally, saying that he/she will search and find a critical error, in order to end my employment contract immediately, if I don't end the employment relationship from my ...
Bojan's user avatar
  • 409
34 votes
6 answers
11k views

What is the purpose of a disclaimer like "this is not legal advice"?

If someone who is not a lawyer is giving out legal advice, does it make any difference if they include a disclaimer along the lines of "this is not legal advice"? For the purposes of this question, I ...
Stefano Palazzo's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
6k views

How to transport a knife that falls under the Weapons Act

In Germany, there is a law (Weapons Act) that prohibits the carrying of a knife with a blade length of 12 cm. "Fixed knives with a blade length of more than 12 centimetres, any knives classified ...
Maik Lowrey's user avatar
20 votes
5 answers
3k views

Which countries' inheritance laws apply?

My mother, a German national with a green card passed away recently. Her husband (my dad) of 59 years is an American citizen (born in US). My mother spent the majority of her adult years in the United ...
Stephan Doliov's user avatar
19 votes
3 answers
6k views

Is it illegal in Germany to spread a list of locations that allow you to violate compulsory mask wearing

I was recently sent a website which, among other terrible health advice, links to a custom google map which allows users to enter locations where they can shop/go to without wearing a face mask (due ...
infinitezero's user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can I legally refuse entry to a landlord?

I am subletting an apartment from a friend who is technically my landlord. I refused him entry late at night after we had a row about a longstanding problem with one of the facilities in the apartment ...
myname's user avatar
  • 353
18 votes
1 answer
5k views

Is there really a German law that requires that credit card companies *only* provide statements in read-only format?

I live in Germany and have a German €-denominated credit card. I used to download my monthly transactions in CSV format, but after a recent web site redesign, the new credit card web site only allows ...
Kyralessa's user avatar
  • 321
16 votes
5 answers
5k views

Is it considered a breach of confidentiality if data is uploaded to a website which only makes that data available to the uploader?

I'm a developer working at a company that handles sensitive banking information and recently, I've had troubles organising my code and thus posted it in a private repository on Github, which only I ...
ratouney's user avatar
  • 163
16 votes
4 answers
5k views

From what age may children walk home alone from an activity/sport in Germany?

In the UK, there are strict safeguarding rules for children. If a child is not picked up after school or an activity by their parents or caregivers, the teachers need to wait until they are picked up ...
Druckles's user avatar
  • 372
16 votes
4 answers
5k views

Can a person go to the court if she signed a contract not to go to court?

Suppose a couple signed a prenuptial contract that said they couldn't go to court regarding their divorce and custody of children. Everything must be resolved through mutual consensus and consultation ...
user366312's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
1k views

What law makes a Movie "Nicht Feiertagsfrei"?

Top Gun, Life of Brian and Heidi (2001) don't seem to have anything in common, but in Germany they are all declared "Nicht Feiertagsfrei" and may not be shown in a cinema on some days. Among ...
Trish's user avatar
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13 votes
4 answers
6k views

Can I deny people entry to a political rally I co-organise?

Can I deny entry or remove unwanted guests from a political rally I co-organise? If we organise an officially authorised political rally in a public place for a particular cause (Palestinian ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 1,379
13 votes
3 answers
5k views

Is PI legally allowed to require their PhD student/Post-docs to pick up their kids from school?

Assuming that I'm a PhD student/Post-doc, what kind of tasks are the principal investigator(PI) - i.e the group leader - legally allowed to ask me to perform? For example, is s/he legally allowed to ...
Our's user avatar
  • 511
13 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the idea behind German courts having both professional judges and lay judges?

In this wiki, it is mentioned that in trial courts there are both professional judges and lay judges involved. What is the basis behind this set up?
Hopeful Whitepiller's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
4k views

Does the German GDPR require storing the data in a German datacenter for a tele-health company?

I co-founded a tele-health startup, we are expanding to Germany, we have gone through the GDPR, and implemented most of it, however, we didn't quite understand the data residency part and found ...
ali.bh's user avatar
  • 233
12 votes
4 answers
6k views

Can you be convicted for being a murderer twice?

Germany has this weird specialty¹ in its criminal law's murder paragraph. While most paragraphs say something like “The person who does A is punished with B”, the murder paragraph (“Strafgesetzbuch § ...
Lukas Barth's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
696 views

Under which German laws is it illegal to mock foreign rulers?

I read this (to me) strange article in the Washington Post saying a German comedian would go on trial in Germany for mocking the Turkish president. It appears from the article that it's this whole ...
Fiksdal's user avatar
  • 448
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

What would happen to the churches (physical buildings), works of art, etc. in case of a new schism?

In the recent past, in the opinion of some theologians, the German catholic church is close to a schism with the Catholic Church. Regardless of whether you agree or not, I'm interested in knowing what ...
An old man in the sea.'s user avatar
11 votes
5 answers
1k views

Were Nazi atrocities legal according the German law of the time?

I have recently had a discussion with a German who claims that Nuremberg trials were entirely based on ex-post-facto laws, and all the atrocities Nazis did were legal according to the Germany's and ...
Anixx's user avatar
  • 384
10 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can I request an ISP to disclose their customer's identity?

As far as I know, breaking the law online in Germany (such as sharing copyrighted content) often results in a fine from a private law firm which gets your personal data from your provider by sending ...
Dmitry Grigoryev's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
830 views

Can a landlord ask me to see my luggage when moving in?

I am moving into a new home where landlord is living close by. I paid the rent and when I was about to move in, I came to get the key and the landlord told me that I cannot get it because I did not ...
user6756191's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Are German Police allowed to ask about private contact information?

This question is based on a story that happened a couple of days ago. Two friends and I were walking outside. Right now, in Germany there are strict regulations about the number of persons and ...
argss's user avatar
  • 113
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

Do Github Projects by Germans Require an "Imprint" (Link) in their Readme?

As is discussed in various places, German law requires an "imprint"/"Impressum" (a page with some contact information, such as a physical address and an e-mail address, on the person responsible for ...
O. R. Mapper's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
1k views

How to legally contribute to open source projects (and other public stuff) in Germany?

Being a software developer it is very important to contribute to public projects and participate in public professional activities. This includes open source projects (which may belong to other ...
Aleksei Petrov's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
364 views

Do other countries than Germany have traffic laws that regard a group of civil vehicles as one single vehicle?

I'm mostly interested in the situation in France, but this might be interesting for other countries as well, especially in the context of the current rise of bicycle usage: Germany has § 27 in its ...
Christian's user avatar
  • 201
10 votes
1 answer
376 views

Rules for Pseudonoyms?

What are the rules for pseudonyms, especially when used online? May I use a Ph.D. in my alias even if I don't have one? May I use a royal title in my pseudonym? Could I be sued for it and what would ...
Amelie B. Blackstone's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

Can a founder of a non-profit company in Germany (gGmbH) receive a salary?

Unlike a normal GmbH, a founder/partner (Gesellschafter) of a gemeinnützige GmbH (or a UG) may, according to the tax code, not receive any profits: Die Mitglieder oder Gesellschafter (Mitglieder im ...
Druckles's user avatar
  • 372
9 votes
4 answers
14k views

Is deadly self defense in Germany legal?

Since I am an American in Germany I have had this discussion with a few Germans but haven't got a concrete answer. If i am at home in Germany and someone breaks into my house and I see that they have ...
OmamArmy's user avatar
  • 191
8 votes
5 answers
4k views

Is there a time after which I can leave when I can't get in the office?

Today my boss was 20 minutes late to work and he has the only key to the office. I can only go in and out after the door has been unlocked so I had to wait outside the office. While I was waiting for ...
Ant's user avatar
  • 191
8 votes
3 answers
464 views

Can a restaurant in Germany refuse service without a tip?

So I live in Germany, and there is a restaurant about 10 minutes away from my house. I often order from there but now much less. Delivery times can vary from 1 hour to several hours… I just noticed on ...
user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
241 views

Can a child release his own work into e.g. the public domain?

I (15 years old; living in Germany) write software now for ~four years and wondered whether I can release it into the public domain or under some free software license without having to ask somebody. ...
zvavybir's user avatar
  • 183
8 votes
1 answer
890 views

Why was the Armenian assassin of Talat Pasha acquitted for murder?

The Armenian assassin of the ex-Ottoman Grand Vizier Talat Pasha, Soghomon Tehlirian was acquitted of murder in his trial. His defence was that he was killing Talat Pasha in retaliation for his crimes ...
March Ho's user avatar
  • 759
8 votes
1 answer
430 views

Notice period for rental contract for a shared flat

In Germany, assume that Allice has a flat (either rented or owned, I think this does not matter) and lives in it herself. She decides to rent one room to Bob with an indefinite contract. My research ...
simplemind's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
430 views

Which public holidays apply to remote workers?

I am working remotely for a company in Germany from Germany. The company is in one state and my place of work is my home in another state. In Germany, we have different mandatory holidays in some ...
SteapStepper69's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
646 views

Can't renounce my citizenship due to being a deserter; can I apply for German citizenship?

I'm a Turkish citizen who is studying in Germany for the last 5 years. As one might not know, in Turkey, there is compulsory military service for every men. But, I don't want to do it (I don't want to ...
unlucky-is-to-be-born-turkey's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
631 views

Under GDPR right of access, do I have the right to receive a copy of scoring sheets / evaluation forms after a structured job interview?

Under the GDPR right of access, what rights do I have to employer assessment of myself in the role of a job applicant after a structured job interview? Presumably, in a structured job interview ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 1,379
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

To whom does the German 'Impressumspflicht' apply?

'Impressumspflicht' is a law in Germany forcing people running a website to publish personal information like name, address, email, telephone number and so forth. If it is a commercial website, even ...
user1785730's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
6k views

Are you allowed to solve an exercise from a book more than seven times?

In Germany, apparently, you are allowed to make a "Privatkopie" at most seven times. Are you allowed to write down an exercise on a device using a note taking app more than seven times? Does ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 71
7 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can I sign a new contract before resigning from a job that has not yet started

I have accepted an offer and signed a contract that starts next month (from August). However, now, I have a new job offer that I prefer. I would like to accept it and sign a contract for this new ...
azerila's user avatar
  • 208
7 votes
2 answers
842 views

How can employer and union agree to tax-free payments?

The German news reports that the employer and employee representatives have reached a new collective labour agreement covering metal and electricity industries. I was surprised by on aspect of the ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 1,379
7 votes
4 answers
680 views

Do I have the right to get a copy of the source code I wrote during an internship? (Germany)

I did an internship in a small software company in Germany and wrote mainly two programs, one which is just an example to learn the language which has no monetary value and another one which could be ...
Byte Commander's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Blackmail inside Germany

I have a question about a common problem ... I have a female friend who lives in Saudi Arabia and her ex-boyfriend who lives in Germany blackmailed her with her own private pictures, that if she does ...
Sayuri's user avatar
  • 71
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

What kind of information is a police officer in Germany allowed to ask, in random situations on the street, e.g., during a traffic check?

For reference: There is the well-known argument, especially in the U.S., that you should not talk to the police, like here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE in one of the extremest forms. ...
AnoE's user avatar
  • 536
7 votes
1 answer
456 views

Can I use a pseudonym in the Impressum of a non-commercial website?

I am creating an online forum where users can communicate and exchange ideas with no public content. This means that the website does not have any commercial activities, and it does not engage in any ...
Fritz's user avatar
  • 193
7 votes
2 answers
637 views

Can a thief legally use force to prevent you from take your property back, in Germany

In this comment on another stack a user claims: Even in thoroughly socialist places such as e.g. Germany where criminals have more rights than lawful people (see e.g. BGB 858 and 859 which not only ...
Takiro's user avatar
  • 173
7 votes
1 answer
479 views

Does a German visitor implicitly agree to a website’s Terms of Service when reading a page?

When Bob visits a website and reads a page, does he implicitly agree to the website’s Terms of Service? The ToS are linked from each page (e.g., in the footer), and they say something like "By using ...
unor's user avatar
  • 1,136
7 votes
1 answer
190 views

Is "elektronische Post" (§ 5 Telemediengesetz) necessarily email?

§ 5 of the Telemediengesetz (German) lists what, for instance, website providers have to include in the typically called Impressum of the website. The second sentence of (1) is: Angaben, die eine ...
unor's user avatar
  • 1,136
7 votes
1 answer
3k views

Is it illegal to sell malware?

Is it illegal to produce and sell malware? If no, is there any data I need to collect on the customers? Is it illegal to produce and sell Crypters(programs that hide other programs from antivirus)? ...
hjbvmkbjnmb's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
246 views

Is the non-availability of an accessory a defect of the main product?

I am currently trying to understand the details of the German law about defects ("Sachmangel, § 434 BGB") and misleading advertising ("Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (UWG), § 5 Irreführende ...
Hatratilis's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
537 views

Who would have to pay for the damage resulting from sitting on a freshly painted bench?

When a bench in a public area gets repainted/lacquered, there’s typically a sign that reads "Wet paint!", which should warn people not to sit on the bench. A blind person can’t read this sign, sits ...
unor's user avatar
  • 1,136

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