Under German law, it is generally a criminal offense to insult a person. The crime is punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine. (Strafgesetzbuch [StGB] [Criminal Code], Nov. 13, 1998, as amended, BGBl.
Germany. Insult (Beleidigung) is punishable by prison up to one year or by fine. If the insult is committed in public or by assault, the penalty is prison up to two years or a fine.
Whether as an expression of a derogatory value judgement in the form of insult or as an untruthful, defamatory statement of fact – under German law, insulting another person is considered a so-called offence of defamation of honour and is punishable as such under § 185 StGB.
In German criminal law, various offences of defamation are standardised in §§ 185-189 StGB. The three most relevant offences are insult (§ 185 StGB), defamation (§ 186 StGB) and slander (§ 187 StGB). They all have in common that they protect “personal honour” and criminalise its deliberate violation by another person.
Under Art. 188 of the German Criminal Code, defaming “a person involved in the popular political life” publicly or via the media, in a way that “may make [the person's] public activities substantially more difficult” is a criminal offence. The penalty is imprisonment for three months to five years.
Depending on the severity of the offence, the perpetrator could even face a prison sentence, as, under § 184i StgB (German Criminal Code), unwanted touching of a person can equate to two years in prison or a fine, depending on the circumstances.
Under German's insult law, using curse words and insulting gestures like the middle finger and sticking out the tongue is illegal. The gesture is known as flipping someone off and is a phallic symbol used in the past to belittle and insult somebody.
Defamation is defined as the act of damaging a person or entity's reputation with false statements that are either written or oral (libel or slander). An insult, on the other hand, is a disrespectful remark or action made with the intent to hurt someone's feelings.
At a general level, the protection of personality is addressed by the German constitution, which explicitly mentions certain general personality rights. These include, for example, the right to preserve one's dignity and honour, but also, for example, the free development of personality.
Foreign victims of crime can sue at German civil courts to obtain compensation for damages caused by a crime. A claim can also be brought through a so-called adhesive procedure (Adhäsionsverfahren) before the criminal court.
Basic Etiquette
It is rude to chew gum or keep one's hands in one's pockets whilst talking with someone. Cross your legs by putting one knee over the other. It is impolite to rest your feet on furniture. Tight punctuality (Pünktlichkeit) is expected in most professional and social situations.
A criminal complaint can also be filed online, via so-called online police stations. The Land police stations can be found under the following links: online police stations and contact details of the Land police stations.
Germany. German law permits self-defense against an unlawful attack. If there is no other possibility for defense, it is generally allowed to use even deadly force without a duty to retreat.
Swearing is an important part of German culture, and natives use curse words in a variety of situations to express everything from anger to happiness. While the average person might be a bit too polite to use German swear words, it's important to understand their cultural context.
The commonly agreed upon quiet hours in Germany (Ruhezeit time period) are from 10pm and 6 or 7am on weekdays and the entire day on Sundays, although there can be some exceptions in different cities or if your landlord imposes other rules as well.
Begging is solely prohibited at the local level. Cities in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania (only aggressive begging), Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Sanctions Begging constitutes an offence against public order and tranquillity contravention or an offence.
A quick, firm handshake is the traditional greeting. Titles are very important and denote respect. Use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name. You should say Herr or Frau and the person's title and their surname.
Germany is a signatory to all the major UN human rights. Together with its EU partners it is committed to protecting and continually advancing human rights standards throughout the world.
The German Basic Law (Grundgesetz), the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany adopted in 1949, officially granted equal rights to women and men, but it has been a long fight for women to obtain actual recognition, and the struggle for gender equality is pursued to this day.
Be clear and direct with your response. Do not stoop to hurling an insult back. Defend yourself if there's anything to defend, own up to any mistakes if there are any to own up to, and make it clear you do not tolerate being spoken to with derision. For example: “I'm sorry you don't like the work I produced.
Although libel and slander are commonly used terms in US law and culture, they do not exist in Australia. Both written and spoken defamation are actionable torts and have the same defences.
Synonyms: carper, castigator, caviler (or caviller), censurer, criticizer, disparager, critic, hypercritic, knocker, niggler, nitpicker.
The “Thumbs Up” Sign
In one particular scene, a spy who's posing as a German soldier in a bar gives himself away by holding up his three middle fingers when asking for three glasses. A German would have shown the number three by holding up their index and middle fingers alongside their thumb.
This isn't only a way to show the number one in German, but also a universal hand gesture for showing that everything is okay or perfect. Be cautious when using the thumbs up, as someone might think that you're counting. But in general, people understand that you're signing “perfect” or “okay” when doing this gesture.
used to warn someone about a danger. If you honk the. horn without proper reason, it will be considered rude.