Grundgesetz

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The constitution of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Drafted in 1948-49 and intended as provisional; kept in force after reunification in 1990.

Key facts

Came into force 23 May 1949. The date is celebrated as Tag des Grundgesetzes.
Drafted in Bonn by the Parlamentarischer Rat (65 members) between September 1948 and May 1949.
Called "Grundgesetz" not "Verfassung" because the drafters viewed it as provisional until German reunification. After reunification in 1990 the document was retained instead of being replaced.
Has been amended over 60 times; the eternity clause (Art. 79 Abs. 3) protects its core from any amendment.
Enforced by the Bundesverfassungsgericht in Karlsruhe, which can strike down laws and parties.

Articles every learner should know

Article	Title	Original (excerpt)	What it means
Art. 1	Human dignity	Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar.	Human dignity is inviolable. Foundational sentence of the entire constitution.
Art. 2	Personal freedom	Jeder hat das Recht auf die freie Entfaltung seiner Persönlichkeit.	Everyone has the right to the free development of their personality, within limits.
Art. 3	Equality before the law	Alle Menschen sind vor dem Gesetz gleich.	All people are equal before the law. Explicitly bans discrimination by sex, parentage, race, language, faith, or political view.
Art. 5	Freedom of expression, press, art and science	Jeder hat das Recht, seine Meinung in Wort, Schrift und Bild frei zu äußern...Eine Zensur findet nicht statt.	Freedom of opinion, press, art, and scholarship. "No censorship" is explicit.
Art. 8	Freedom of assembly	Alle Deutschen haben das Recht, sich ohne Anmeldung oder Erlaubnis friedlich und ohne Waffen zu versammeln.	Germans may assemble peacefully without prior registration or permission.
Art. 16a	Right to asylum	Politisch Verfolgte genießen Asylrecht.	The politically persecuted enjoy the right of asylum (extensively qualified since 1993).
Art. 20	Constitutional principles	Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist ein demokratischer und sozialer Bundesstaat.	Defines the BRD as a democratic, social, federal state. Para 4 grants a right to resist anyone seeking to overthrow this order if no other remedy exists.
Art. 21	Political parties	Die Parteien wirken bei der politischen Willensbildung des Volkes mit.	Parties co-form political will. Para 2 lets the Bundesverfassungsgericht ban parties hostile to the constitutional order.
Art. 38	Bundestag elections	Die Abgeordneten...werden in allgemeiner, unmittelbarer, freier, gleicher und geheimer Wahl gewählt.	Five-fold election principle: universal, direct, free, equal, secret.
Art. 79 Abs. 3	Eternity clause	Eine Änderung dieses Grundgesetzes, durch welche die Gliederung des Bundes in Länder...oder die in den Artikeln 1 und 20 niedergelegten Grundsätze berührt werden, ist unzulässig.	Articles 1 (human dignity) and 20 (democratic federal social state) plus the existence of the Länder cannot be amended away. The constitution explicitly protects itself from majority repeal.