The German constitution is known as the Grundgesetz, or Basic Law. The Basic Law outlines the fundamental principles that govern life in Germany.

Germany is a constitutional state. All people are equal before the law, regardless of their age, gender, origin or religion. Anyone who feels they have been treated unfairly can go to court.

Germany is a welfare state. The government is responsible for the wellbeing of its citizens. It provides health insurance programmes, pensions and welfare benefits, such as unemployment pay. Everyone should be able to lead a good life.

Germany is a federation. It is made up of different parts, the federal states. There are 16 federal states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. Each federal state has its own rules and laws. However, they have some common rules and laws that apply to the whole country.
 

The Basic Law sets out the rights and obligations of people in Germany. Some of these basic rights apply to everyone. These are human rights. Some rights only apply to German citizens. These are civil rights.

Important obligations include compulsory school attendance, tax obligations and the obligation to adhere to the law. In Germany, all children and young people Germany must attend school. Everyone who earns an income must pay taxes. Everyone must obey the law.

These are the most important rights:

• Human dignity: you must respect all people.
• Equal rights: all people have equal rights. For instance, men and women have equal rights.
• Equality before the law: all people are equal before the law.
• Right to freedom of expression: all people have the right to express their opinions freely.
• Freedom of assembly: people are allowed to meet in groups.
• Freedom of movement: people have the right to live wherever they wish.
• Freedom of occupation: people are free to choose their occupation.

Other rights include the protection of marriage and family, freedom of the press, the right to vote and religious freedom.

In Germany, everyone is free to choose and practice their own religion. Approximately one third of all Germans have no official religion. Among those who do, most are Christian, either Roman Catholic or Protestant. Many Christian holidays, such as Christmas or Easter, are public holidays. This means that most people do not have to work on these days. But members of many other religions also live in Germany.

Protestant and Catholic-based religious education is taught in schools. Some schools also offer Orthodox Christian, Jewish and Islamic religious education. Parents can decide whether their child participates in religious education, and if so, which type they should receive.

In Germany, people are free to openly express their sexual orientation. This means that same-sex relationships, bi-, trans- and intersexuality, are as much a part of everyday life as heterosexuality. The LGBTQ movement plays an important role. This is the community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and queer people. These communities are protected by law in Germany. The rainbow flag is a symbol of the LGBTQ movement.

Same-sex marriage, whether between two men or two women, has been legal in Germany since 1 October 2017. These couples have the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual couples. This means they are allowed to adopt children and take on their partner’s last name. They are also obliged to support each other.

When rights are not respected, this can sometimes constitute discrimination. For more information, read the section “Handling discrimination”.

In a democratic state, there are elections. This is also the case in Germany. Elections must be secret, general and free. The people decide who governs.

The political parties in Germany have different agendas and goals. The largest parties are the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany), CDU (Christian Democratic Union), Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (The Green Party), FDP (Free Democratic Party), AfD (Alternative for Germany) and Die Linke (The Left). There are many other smaller political parties. More information about the political parties and their agendas is available on the website of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Who can vote? Voting eligibility is not the same for all types of election in Germany. To vote in most elections, you have to be 18 years old. Only German citizens can vote in parliamentary elections (Bundestagswahl) and federal state elections (Landtagswahlen). In Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, 16-year-olds are allowed to vote in federal state elections. However, they cannot be elected themselves. This is only possible after they have reached the age of 18.

EU citizens may also vote in local elections if they have lived in Germany for more than three months. In Bavaria, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Saxony, voters must be 18 years old. In the other federal states, the minimum age is 16. All EU citizens aged 18 and over can vote in the European elections.

If you come from a non-EU country, you are not allowed to vote in Germany. However, there are still ways to get involved in political processes. Many communities have integration councils and integration committees, typically elected by immigrants. The integration committees represent the political interests of immigrants and advise on all issues and problems they may face. The aim of their work is to promote understanding between immigrants and German citizens.