The laws in Germany are not as strict as in some other countries at first glance. In some bars, for example, you can still smoke, it is allowed to sunbathe naked in the park, and 16-year-olds can legally buy beer or wine. However, Germany also has many prohibitions and regulations on behavior that seem strange or at least archaic.
In Germany, for example, behavior on Sundays and public holidays is strictly regulated, especially if they are religious.
No dancing and movies on Good Friday
In most of Germany's 16 federal states, Good Friday is considered a “quiet public holiday”. Since the Middle Ages, dancing and loud parties have been banned on Good Friday.
Berlin has long had a much more liberal approach to this ban - it is only observed between 4 am and 9 pm on Good Friday. But in the southern, predominantly Catholic state of Bavaria, the ban applies for a full 70 hours from Maundy Thursday to Saturday. Fines for violators can reach 10,000 euros.
Many other noisy activities are also banned on this day, which is considered a time of religious reverence and silence. Therefore, cars should not be washed, furniture should not be moved, yard sales should not be held.
In many German states, there are also over 700 films that are banned from being shown on Good Friday - for example, “Ghostbusters” and Monty Python's satirical film "Life of Brian". However, the rules are not followed equally everywhere. In Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, screenings of "Life of Brian" are organized every year - precisely in protest against the rules.
No picking mushrooms at night, no uprooting wild garlic
In Germany, it is illegal to go mushroom picking in the forest at night - the reason being that you should not disturb those wild animals that are active at night.
It is also forbidden to pick wild garlic with the root. You can pick some wild garlic for your own use, but not to uproot it! Uprooting plants with the bulbs or tearing the leaves in nature reserves is also strictly prohibited. Wild garlic, by the way, can be easily confused with other poisonous plants - for example, with lily of the valley, whose leaves are almost identical.
No sandcastles on the Baltic coast
Another interesting rule in Germany is related to the beaches of the Baltic Sea. There, children can swim freely. However, they cannot build sandcastles or dig deep holes on the beach. The fine for violating this rule is 1,000 euros.
On the resort island of Sylt, for example, you cannot dig holes on the beach, and the reason for this is as follows - the displacement of the sand layers can lead to erosion of the beach. Some resorts on the Baltic coast, such as Binz, Sellin and Rügen, allow sandcastles, but they must not be higher than 30 centimetres and their diameter must be limited to 3.5 metres.
No mowing or shopping on Sundays
Running your lawnmower or any other noisy equipment on a Sunday in Germany will not only bring you the wrath of your neighbours, but also a visit from the police or the Public Order Office.
The traditional rest time is something of a law in Germany, where no noise from repairs or other household activities should be made on Sundays. All motorised garden equipment and tools must not be switched on on Sundays and also on public holidays. Anyone who breaks this rule is threatened with fines. An unwritten rule for Sundays also states that you should not hang out laundry on that day, as this is considered disrespectful to God.
The rule of silence on Sundays, which is also related to religious traditions, also affects shopping - a federal law from 1956 prohibits shops from opening on Sundays and public holidays. Many states have changed their rules in recent years, but Sunday shopping in general remains something that Germans do not do. Only small shops at gas stations are usually open on the day off, but nothing else.
You can't run out of gas on the highway
However, there are far more curious rules - for example, it is forbidden to run out of gas on a German highway. Drivers who have not filled their tank enough to get where they are going are considered criminally negligent. That's why they can get a fine - because they put themselves and other drivers at risk by stopping on the highway. And stopping on the highway is only allowed in emergencies.
Author: Steward Brown