Germany citizenship test (Leben in Deutschland) · Curriculum chapter 4 · 5 min read
Chapter 4: People and society
Equality of men and women, religion and the state, marriage and family, children's rights, school and training, work and social insurance, public holidays and everyday rules for living together. Study notes for the German naturalisation test.
Why this chapter matters
The curriculum area People and society (Mensch und Gesellschaft) applies the basic rights to everyday life: how men and women, people of different faiths and different generations live together. Many questions describe a situation and ask what the law says. The answer almost always follows from equality, freedom of faith or the rule of law.
Equality of men and women
- Men and women have equal rights (Article 3). The state actively promotes equality.
- A married woman decides for herself whether to work, open a bank account or sign a contract; her husband's permission is not needed.
- Equal pay for the same or equivalent work regardless of sex is required by law.
- Parental leave (Elternzeit) is open to mothers and fathers, married or not; many parents also receive parental allowance (Elterngeld).
Religion and the state
- Freedom of faith (Article 4): everyone may choose, change, practise or give up a religion, or have none.
- There is no state church. The state is neutral but works with religious communities, for example in schools and social services.
- Church tax (Kirchensteuer) is paid only by members of religious communities entitled to levy it; the tax offices collect it for them. Leaving the community ends the payment.
- Religious education (Religionsunterricht) is a regular subject in most state schools. Parents decide whether their child takes part; from 14 young people decide for themselves.
- Places of worship such as churches, mosques, synagogues and temples are built under the normal planning and building rules.
- Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust includes a special duty to protect Jewish life.
Marriage and family
- Marriage is a civil act at the registry office (Standesamt). Since 2017 two people of the same or different sex may marry, and no one under 18 may marry.
- Marriage needs the free consent of both partners. Forced marriage is a crime.
- Parents have the first right and duty to raise their children (Article 6); the state watches over the children's welfare.
- Children have a right to an upbringing without violence: hitting children is not allowed.
- Full legal age (Volljaehrigkeit) is 18.
- The Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz) protects young people: for example, spirits may not be sold to anyone under 18, and beer and wine not to anyone under 16.
Childcare, school and training
| Stage | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Nursery and kindergarten (Kita) | Voluntary, but every child from age one has a legal right to a place |
| School | Compulsory (Schulpflicht); teaching children at home instead is generally not allowed |
| Who runs schools | The Laender, so school types and holidays differ from Land to Land |
| School-leaving qualifications | Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss (mittlere Reife), and the Abitur, which gives access to university |
| Vocational training | Dual training (duale Ausbildung): at a company and at a vocational school (Berufsschule) |
| Adult learning | The Volkshochschule offers courses for adults, including many integration courses |
Work and social security
- A general statutory minimum wage (Mindestlohn) per hour has applied since 2015. Trade unions and employers can agree higher wages in collective agreements.
- Employees may form and join trade unions (Gewerkschaften).
- Social insurance has five branches, mostly paid for jointly by employees and employers:
| Insurance | Covers |
|---|---|
| Health insurance (Krankenversicherung) | Doctors, hospital, medicines; compulsory for almost everyone |
| Pension insurance (Rentenversicherung) | Old-age pensions, paid as a contract between the generations: today's contributions pay today's pensions |
| Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung) | Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) after losing a job |
| Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) | Care in old age or illness |
| Accident insurance (Unfallversicherung) | Accidents at work and on the way to work |
- Many people do unpaid voluntary work (Ehrenamt), for example in sports clubs, the volunteer fire brigade or helping refugees and neighbours.
Living together
- Discrimination because of origin, skin colour, sex, religion, disability, age or sexual identity is forbidden by the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), including in jobs and when renting a flat.
- Freedom of opinion has limits: insult (Beleidigung) and incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) are crimes.
- When you move, register your new address at the registration office (Meldebehoerde, often the Buergeramt).
- Sundays and public holidays are protected as days of rest, so most shops are closed.
- Most households pay the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag), which funds public broadcasters such as ARD and ZDF.
- Emergency numbers: 112 for the fire brigade and ambulance, 110 for the police. 116 117 reaches the on-call doctor service when it is not an emergency.
Public holidays
| Holiday | Kind |
|---|---|
| Day of German Unity, 3 October | The only holiday set by federal law; marks reunification in 1990 |
| New Year's Day, 1 May (Labour Day) | Secular holidays set by the Laender |
| Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas | Christian holidays, set by the Laender |
| Others, such as Epiphany or All Saints' Day | Only in some Laender |
Jewish, Muslim and other religious festivals are not public holidays, but employees and pupils can often take time off for them.
Common questions
Do I have to state a religion? No one has to belong to a religion. The registration office asks about membership of a church-tax community only so that church tax can be collected.
Why are there so many situation questions? Because this area is about applying rights to daily life. Ask yourself which basic right is involved, and whether the answer treats everyone equally.
Ready to practise? Start Germany citizenship practice test 3.
Based on the curriculum area "Mensch und Gesellschaft" named by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (bamf.de) and the Rahmencurriculum in the Einbuergerungstestverordnung. Written in our own words; check the official pages before your test.