American Reacts to 6 Surprising Things That Are Forbidden in Germany..

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[@homesteadlegion4419]

The name thing makes sense as soon as you switch perspective from the parents to the kids, because the kid is the one that otherwise has to live with the stupid decision of their parents...

[@100100freak]

I think its obvious that you shouldnt be allowed to name your kid whatever funny name you can come up with

[@SvenScholz]

Yes, parents shouldn't be allowed to screw up their kids life by naming them stupid words

[@Miristzuheiss]

A kid named Apple or Alexa, for example, is punished by mobbing at school. This will be profed in before. Sharing children rights

[@magicpan6873]

@@100100freakit’s really not. Look at the kardashian or Elon musk 😂

[@Maria-js9ou]

@@magicpan6873 They are americans, so they are alowed to name their kids whatever funny name they can come up with. As for bullying at school, we will see

[@mementomori5580]

"Name law, disagree completely!" Yeah no, it's a great thing that parents are NOT allowed to name their child whatever the hell they want. Depending on what crazy name they come up with, it could amount to "cruelty to children". So this is definitely a good law to have. Children are not the PROPERTY of Parents. Parents have a responsibility for the well being of their child. Giving it a PROPER name is part of that.

[@magnoliads2547]

Totally agree!!!!!! 👏 Some years ago - was also in the news - there where parents who wanted to name theire son "Pumuckel" but were not given permission by the (German or Austrian - I can't remember) law. Thank God for this kid!!! Can you imagine the bullying?

[@TheK-PopInPublicAuthority]

Disagree. Children ARE the property of the parents. You need power over someone to ensure their safety. Without power, you have no authority. A wife making an oath in front of friends and family to submit to and obey her husband is her giving that authority to him so that he can be responsible for her safety, fighting off ten men or more attackers if required therefore he has the power to tell her 'No, you can't go out to a club with your friends.' Same goes for kids. Far as I'm concerned, a kid belongs to the parents until they're old enough to pop a squat and push out a kid. When they can make the decision to have a kid or partake in the act of making a kid, then by all means, they can be a sovereign individual- until then, it's the duty of a parent to make sure their kid doesn't win a darwin award by dying in some stupid way, like sticking fingers into an electrical outlet, running in traffic and playing hide and seek under vehicles.

[@0liholz]

@@TheK-PopInPublicAuthority That are two separate things. My Boss has authority over me, he command me to do things. But I am not his property, that would make me a slave. Authority and Submission has nothing to do, with seeing a person, as another human beeing. In Germany we do not treat our kids like dogs or cars.

[@labelmail]

​@@TheK-PopInPublicAuthority almost all you wrote lacks the basic respect to another persons dignity. Some of it like "old enough to pop a squat and push out a kid." even offensive

[@heinv.frohnau505]

@@TheK-PopInPublicAuthority "oath to submit to and obey"? If you were to ask that of a German woman (at least anyone I know), she would first look at you with wide eyes, then laugh at you and then leave you forever.

[@rolandbriefrel3125]

Parents should definitely NOT be allowed to call their children anything they like. The first thought ought to be given to the child’s future wellbeing and risk of bullying. Calling your child Hitler or Pol Pot simply because you can, seems fraught with danger. So is Wayne Carr and Mike Hunt 😂😂😂

[@waynedieckmann9840]

Choose your own name and gender when you buy a beer.

[@MrSinclairn]

2008-New Jersey(USA) court-case: Adolf Hitler Campbell birthday cake!🙄

[@waynedieckmann9840]

@@MrSinclairn lol. Now Roland is going to troll you with blue haired Karen's

[@waynedieckmann9840]

My name is just offensive as Hitler. Would you like to enjoy my sauna with me. No sorry we're all full

[@Lilygirl283]

😂😂😂😂

[@alexandrorocca7142]

I'm befuddled by the fact that many Americans think that being a dick counts as freedom. Practically, every rule mentioned by Feli aims to protect other people from harmful or very annoying behavior. One person's freedom ends where another's begins.

[@elinavance3476]

The problem is: Who decides when I restrict the freedom of others, or who decides what counts as a lie? Some things also did count as the truth, and were debunked a few years later, so I think it`s bad to forbid someone from telling lies. Hatespeech (Hass und Hetze) is also way too vague and can be used to prohibit free speech imo. But I think the restriction to not name your baby however you want, is doing more good than bad!

[@Jikaila]

​@@elinavance3476 if i would insult you randomly, without even knowing you, be it here in the Internet or somewhere on the street, according to your words, it should be covered by freedom of speech. You're okay with that? Also, in german its not like nobody ever insults anybody. And this is more often not taken to any court, because you as the insulted person, who has been restricted in your own freedom and dignity, have to take it to the court. Its not like the police is lurking around every corner, waiting for people to so something wrong and arrest or fine them on the spot. But with the active law its possible for people, who get constantly harrassed, to fight against it. Its not more weird than the stereotypical view of Americans, who sue companies, because they haven't written in the manual, that i can't dry my wet pet in the microwave.

[@thomaskuppers3962]

Also you as the insulted person have to prove the fact someone insulted you. The point with facts that change is right but some facts (like the Holocaust) will only change if Nazis or other similiar stupid people start ruling in Germany again and I hope that will never happen again!

[@gehtsnoch7193]

Achso die Beteiligung am Krieg seitens der BRD wollen sie nicht sehen!

[@akselranheim1194]

@@elinavance3476but I’m confused can’t you get arrested for hate speechv

[@JimbalayaJones]

Greetings from 🇩🇪! -Freedom of speech In theory, you can say whatever you want in Germany. However, this personal freedom ends there when one offends an individual or a group of people. You can't just spread lies and/or bullshit about people or groups. This law restricts your personal freedom only to a very small extent, but significantly strengthens the rights of many people. -Names for babies Here the child's right to dignity and (mental) integrity is valued higher than your right as a parent to choose a name. The child has the same rights as everyone else from the moment of its existence, but cannot protect itself. That's why such names are not allowed here.

[@ileana8360]

Well said. 👍

[@BluePhoenix_]

Dignity is literally germanies first law, so yes it makes sense.

[@datJense]

In regards of (whatever kind of) freedom I still go with article 4 of Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen/Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: And yes, also words may be harmful to others. in Germany we have the saying - one person's freedom ends where another man's freedom begins... You're free to drive as fast as you want, as long as you don't put anyone else's life in danger You're free to talk the worst shit you can think of as long as you don't infamize another person or a defined group of people. Because it's there right to keep their dignity

[@elinavance3476]

The problem is: Who decides when I restrict the freedom of others, or who decides what counts as a lie? Some things also did count as the truth, and were debunked a few years later, so I think it`s bad to forbid someone from telling lies. Hatespeech (Hass und Hetze) is also way too vague and can be used to prohibit free speech imo. But I think the restriction to not name your baby however you want, is doing more good than bad!

[@wolfgangsimons9183]

@@elinavance3476 Quote : "Who decides when I restrict the freedom of others, or who decides what counts as a lie?" Or someone violates the dignity of others? The COURTS !

[@martinaklee-webster1276]

In Germany, parentel protections aren't above Childs protections. In Germany, it is also forbidden to spank and verbaly abuse your Child.

[@Nachthorn2ft]

so it is

[@Traumtaenzerin197]

And this is (theoretically) the case in most countries. Of course we know there are many places where this is far from reality. But still most countries signed the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-Kinderrechtskonvention) from 1989/90. One of the few that didn't sign is the USA...

[@martinschombierski8131]

And that's why today's kids behave like assholes! Your Favorite Martian - Whip Your Kids kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5moeoF5rNVsrbssi=nU6j-eQdAwMI4gXy

[@billyo54]

Hi Joel. The dignity of the families of the Holocaust needs to be protected, I'm sure most would agree. By the same reasoning the dignity of the child may also need protection from idiot parents who want to name their children after inanimate objects or stupid made-up names. The obsession with "freedom" that Americans dwell on may often be at the expense of others dignity. America may need to come down off its high horse 🐎 regarding "freedom" which can be used to justify narcissistic entitlement.

[@michaelkuschnefsky362]

Very well said, that's how I see it too.

[@OkkulterO]

Totally agree with you. I think "freedom" without responsibility ends in idiocy. "Freedom" as understood by most US Americans is their "fetish". It's a reflex that comes from their spinal cord and not their brain (they are brainwashed).

[@weuspe]

one thing to add. Every kid is its own individual. Parents dont own their kids. thats why they dont have the right to ruin your life with a stupid name

[@mindscraper1978]

German (most other countries) laws are to protect, US laws are to destroy, is the general feel I have.

[@sweeperboy]

I think for anyone who has a problem with it, one has to understand the German mindset. After WW2, Germany came to the painful realisation that it was 100% to blame for the Holocaust and other evil deeds committed by the Nazi Party and crucially by ordinary people under the Nazi's direction. It was a trauma that scarred the German people for decades, and arguably continues to some extent into today. The idea that "normal people" could have been directed to behave in such ghastly ways was such an affront to the new German mindset that they made their laws accordingly - the Swastika is illegal, denying the Holocaust is illegal etc. If you allow the kind of absolute freedom of speech to say literally whatever to exist that seems to occur in the USA, you will get denialists and conspiracy theorists having a field day with the Holocaust (in a similar but much larger way than for instance how you guys have had Sandy Hook denialists). Denying the Holocaust or saying (as happened in the USA) "there were good people on both sides" is the first step to potentially returning the average German to a situation here they could be manipulated by someone like Hitler again. And that is separate and additional to the other very good argument for banning Holocaust denial - the dignity of the families of the Holocaust.

[@easy_watching]

the thing about most of those restrictions: from your own perspective you might be restricted by those laws, but when taking the perspective of other people, it kind of protects them. e.g. it's an annoyance for you not to maw your lawn on a sunday or name your child however you want, but it's actually annoying when you are the neighbor of someone mawing their lawn on your only free day of the week, or when you are the child that has a weird name and gets bullied for it. so.. the laws are more in place to protect people than restrict them.

[@rashomon351]

Imagine that: "It is illegal to deny or diminish slavery and segregation". Wouldn't that be a statement against systemic racism.

[@Scooterboi60]

I think Germany learned an awful lot from the aftermath of WWII. Respect and honour of others are good lessons to learn.

[@MattyEngland]

OK boomer, keep watching that history channel propaganda.

[@Scooterboi60]

@@MattyEngland respect and honour are good lessons to learn.

[@dansattah]

@@Scooterboi60 Dont't feed the troll. 👍

[@rainerm.8168]

True. But do you need laws to ensure respect and honor of other? You should behave like a lady or a gentleman, that's enough. In fact freedom is not the top value in Germany, that's security and safety. .

[@Scooterboi60]

@@rainerm.8168 I think it’s abundantly clear that throughout the world people need laws in place to guide them in respecting and honouring others. Just look at all the minority groups that face discrimination, racism etc. everyday.

[@TubetakerBHV]

Regarding the name "law": just because you are an idiot (for giving your kids rediculous names) they dont have to suffer for it. So this "law" is just a protection for your own kids not to be bullied for the rest of their lifes. Too sad its necessary.

[@Kari_B61ex]

When I first moved to Germany, ruhezeit - Sunday and night time quiet hours, seemed really difficult to understand and get used to. After living there for a few months I began to love them. Sunday's really are a day of rest and you were never woken by noisy inconsiderate neighbours. Now living back in the UK I really wish we had the laws here.

[@young19boy]

I don't really like the Ruhezeiten laws. (as a German living in Germany) It is annoying because you cannot do anything: watching TV, playing music, singing, doing vaccum cleaning, listening to music, ... nothing's really possible.

[@Alias_Anybody]

​@@young19boy If you can't vacuum then your device is too loud or your walls too thin.

[@young19boy]

​@@maggiemae9099 I have *_NO_* kids or other persons in my appartment and I *_DON'T_* do any parties at home! My neighbours complained about the "noise" of my alarm clock because I had to go to work or to a job interview, but it was necessary to set it before 7am because I had to take the bus between 5am and 6am. You write that you also get up for work before 7am! So I guess you don't sleep with your headphones on in order to make sure not to disturb your neighbours with your alarm clock that early in the morning? At some point, it becomes *_IMPOSSIBLE_* to avoid any noise: What if you have to pee at night? Then you would probably have to go to the bathroom, so you will walk inside of your apartment at night and the steps make sounds (unavoidable) that could disturb your neighbours. The ones who have kids are my neighbours, not me! Their kids always cried loudly at night, but they complained about my *_NECESSARY_* "noise" in the morning because their baby "wants to sleep"! Crying kids are an exception when it comes to silence laws, you can't do anything against it.

[@young19boy]

The "noise" problem were not parties or kids but rather things like - watching KZbin videos (even when using headphones, might still have been "too loud" for them - it is possible to hear the sounds of headphones without having them on yourself) - alarm clock in the morning - sound of steps when walking inside the apartment - turning the light switch on/off Currently, they stopped complaining since ... idk. I think they installed an insulation because I told them that I could hear them very well, too (e. g. when they had s_x, could hear was very joyful)

[@robertroberto7659]

@@young19boy This is not about a law, just your neighbours seem to be ridiculous. Either move to somewhere else or build some confidence. If they think it's to loud they can call the police and when they call them to tell about your light switches being to loud the police will laugh and end the call.

[@joshuaclinton9647]

In some countries giving a child a name like the ones listed or of similar types can be viewed as child abuse and in the stricter countries can even lead to temporary loss of custody

[@MattyEngland]

Yet giving your child sex changing hormones is OK? Makes sense 🙄

[@olivert7068]

@@MattyEngland We don't give our kids sex changing hormones. In case there is hormonally based therapy. Nothing to do with changing sex. And yes, it IS ok.

[@SovermanandVioboy]

@@MattyEngland You have to come from a weird place, if you rly think its normal for any parent, to give their children sex changing hormons.

[@manub.3847]

@@MattyEngland As a parent/guardian, you cannot request sterilization or gender reassignment (in DE) -> the latter requires a lengthy medical/psychological process and in both cases the final decision is made by the person concerned after their 18th/21. birthday

[@MattyEngland]

@@olivert7068 I didn't mean Germany, I meant these other countries the original comment was referring to. I'm glad to hear that Germany has more sense than that, although allowing the government to dictate the name of your children is absolutely insane and cringey AF

[@rolfoleynik6925]

Germany is smaller than Montana, but 84 million people live there. We have a lot of apartment buildings, so the volume law is very practical.

[@queenslanddiva]

I think these laws are fine - especially the kids' names. There are so many stupid and awful names that poor kids have to live with and suffer from. Give me the German society over the US one any day

[@ForumcoldiArchon]

Yea.. imagine watching lord of the rings and name your child legolas.. now that child gets Glases.. WHAT DO YOUR ELBENEYES SEE LEGOLAS?!? NOTHING! YOU ARE BLIND!! instant bullied in school. Hence names from popular shows that are unusual are usually declined.. mario or sth is okay

[@ajeansmonths1352]

In Germany we have the right to make up names. But as she stated, for the future wellbeing of the kid (bullying, ect.) there are limits. And also because of the first article of our constitution concerning the dignity of the child. I once saw an American guy interviewed on some topic. his name was "Mike Litoris". Say that out loud... Such things don't happen here. The "no insulting law" is also based on the dignity article.

[@ganymedes62]

🤣😂🤣😂 That's exactly why these rules exist, it's the same here in The Netherlands. There's definitely a limit as to what you can name your child.

[@PattisKarriereKarten]

Also there was an American girl traveling on a plane recently that bore the name „ABCDE“ and the poor kid was dragged onto a viral meme spree on the internet because the stewardess couldn’t believe it and photographed their plane tickets. How humiliating to a child is that? It’s enough being bullied from classmates let alone from all of the internet because your parents smoked too much weed when naming you 🙄

[@andywilliams7323]

The name rule is good. It's prevents silly parents from giving children silly names that unfairly draw unwanted attention and embarrassment to the child and leave them open to bullying, ridicule and humiliation from other children and adults.

[@cadeeja.]

Please do not forget: we do not necessarily own houses that have quite some space between them, so, if f.e. 8 parties live in one house, it is more important to have rules to make the living so close to eachother more comfortable.

[@Flloydffxi]

I am German and I would say the easiest way to understand the general ideas of most of the laws in Germany would be a saying: (rough translation) dont do to others what you dont want to be done too you. In my opinion its the best way to describe it and to live in general😉

[@T0MT0Mmmmy]

In Germany we have a ethic say: The freedom of one ends where the freedom of another begins. US Americans don't respect this, its always my, my, my freedom.

[@elinavance3476]

The problem is: Who decides when I restrict the freedom of others, or who decides what counts as a lie? Some things also did count as the truth, and were debunked a few years later, so I think it`s bad to forbid someone from telling lies. Hatespeech (Hass und Hetze) is also way too vague and can be used to prohibit free speech imo. But I think the restriction to not name your baby however you want, is doing more good than bad!

[@S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-Strelok]

When it comes to the rest-periods (Ruhezeiten), nobody will call the police on you for quickly drilling a hole in your wall or something like that. Generally speaking people only get annoyed by prolonged loud noise and they also have to ask you to turn it down first before complaining to any authorities.

[@leDespicable]

However, there's always that one stuck-up neighbour that will call the police for even the tiniest bit of noise

[@paimaikar285]

About the laws against noises: Germany is overall densely populated and most people are living in apartments (81 million people are living in an area half of Texas size). So to keep peace between people laws and regulations are important. And it depends on the neighbor if they call the police or not

[@PokhrajRoy.]

11:15 Joel will arrive in Germany and be happy with public drinking but be troubled by staying silent. Waiting to see that play out IRL.

[@Mozartkugel]

Most german laws are based on general thoughtfulness and respect. There’s a common saying here that basically sums this up wonderfully: „Was du nicht willst, das man dir tu, das füg auch keinem anderen zu.“ My mom always used to say that when I was a kid and was about to get into trouble. It means: „Don't do to others, what you wouldn't want others do to you.“ Doesn’t matter if it’s about noise, insulting people, violence, etc. It’s basically universal for every law that’s ever existed. Heck, you can even replace all of the 10 commandments with this single line.

[@benburns5995]

The rule of having to approve baby names makes sense to me. In the USA some people name their children such unusual names and it makes it difficult to pronounce or remember. The rule about denying the Holocaust as being illegal I think is wonderful as it really shows respect for those who suffered during it. I myself had and uncle that was in the US Army during the Holocaust that helped free the Concentration camps. Enjoy all your reaction videos.

[@ub681904]

Remember how Elon Musk named his child. The poor rich kid.

[@PeterBuwen]

Formal and informal adressing is not only a german thing but mostly common in other - non-english - countries. The english language does not know it. But most others. In France for example it was even mor restrictive (in the past) and chiildren had to adress their parents the formal way.

[@yannickurbach5654]

Interestingly, that is also how it used to be in English (thou and ye). But the *informal* form (thou) died out completely. "Ye", later "you", is the former formal address.

[@alishakennon1970]

The name thing makes perfect sense. It's there in order to protect the child's mental (and, in case of bullying and kids just generally being assholes sometimes) and physical wellbeing. Bullying has a huge impact on a child's development and even later on, when kids or teens learn about history or common views, a name that is commonly associated to whatever atrocities, it can shake up their sense of self, relationship to their parents or can lead to severe depression. Think about it: what if you were named whopper and people would constantly make fun of you wherever you go? Yeah. No imagine a little kid who's just starting to develop a sense of self and self worth going through that...

[@Katharina-rp7iq]

For context: informal du is used for children and teens (under 16), friends, close colleagues (NOT all colleagues, only ones you are on friendly terms with and it isn't always the case even then), relatives and sometimes acquaintances. If you're at a friend's private pizza party or a football game or flirt with someone you use the informal term even if you do not know the other people because it is an informal occasion. If you're at a more formal setting like in a restaurant or on the street or in a classroom you use the formal Sie towards everyone, including the waiter, since not doing it is very impolite. Being informal towards people you do not know who do not wish to be familiar with you or are doing their duty as police or a lawyer, for example, being informal is uncalled for and shows your contempt for the law, which makes it an insult. If you meet a policeman on a break in a coffee shop you shouldn't be informal, but if you are using the informal du when asking for the sugar container that's just a bit rude and in 99,99% of cases the police wouldn't mind it. But if you just got caught stealing and are informal it is considered as being definitely deliberately offensive and you will most likely be punished. If you're informal while you're drunk that usually doesn't count because being formal while drunk is a bit difficult.

[@3deverything690]

Joel, there are multiple languages that have the formal and informal pronouns. Dutch, German, French, Spanish, to name a few. In those languages you also are not on a first name basis unless the other person (an older person or a stranger) tells you that it is ok. In English speaking countries such as the USA, there is another way you have to show respect. You have to add: Sir or Ma'am. You get pulled over by the police, you say: "yes officer" or "is there a problem officer?"😇 You see, it still exists.

[@Aurora150264]

And in France children even have to say "sie" to their parents. They are not allowed to say you to their parents, in particular in rich or noble families. Nowadays it is not very common, but it still exists.

[@blondkatze3547]

It`s a good thing that you have to observe the rest in Germany, otherwise if you live in a apartment building and can do whatever you want and at time of the day or night ,eg. can hear loud music , it can disturb the other neighbors very much. Even if small children live in the house , the neighbors should take care that they can take their nap in peace. Here in the country its not that strict if you have your own house, but you make sure that the music isn`t too loud on sundays, you don`t mow the lawn, etc. That also applies to holidays. 🥰

[@BomberFletch31]

I also agree with the prohibition on certain names. I don't have any issue with it - the names that are on the banned list are not names that anyone is likely to want to use anyway, except in an attempt to deliberately associate your kid with something or someone unsavoury. And the second effect is that it stops kids from growing up with a name that risks getting them bullied because of their name.

[@igeljaeger]

If youre a weeb, the informal way of speaking in german is like addressing a stranger with their first name without "-san" in japanese. It's very personal and implies familiarity. This has been shifting because of american influences in the business side of the culture with even bosses preferring "Du" nowadays but it's still the exception in day to day life. And I still lowkey think it's emotional manipulation to get employees to identify with the company more than they should.

[@jochenlutz6524]

Regarding the childs names I think that the german name restrictions are absolutely right. If your parents gave you the name "Superman" or other crazy ones you will have to cope with it all your life.

[@caraira1909]

According to the "Strafgesetzbuch (StGB)" (German Criminal Code) , section 185 if you insult someone you can be fined or even land in jail up to 1 to 2 years (depending on the circumstances) . As the laws regarding a child's name and denying the Holocaust, this law has it's roots in protecting other people's dignity.

[@KrisThroughGlass]

I think the name rule is great. You said parents should be able to name their kid whatever they want because it's THEIRS. But it's the kids whole life and if the parents are dumb the kid should be protected and have a right to have a name that won't get them traumatized before they even leave school. When watching those reaction videos about Germany, I think I'm not very German (struggle to be on time, dislike about making plans, etc) but I liked so of these laws, besides the one about the urn.

[@RustyDust101]

The idea of running out of fuel being illegal because it is preventable: yepp, that is a real thing. Big, big caveat here: if it is completely out of your control, like a broken pump line spilling gas; a gas station you wanted to fill up at was closed due to a construction site you didn't know about and the next one was more than the emergency reserve away; long traffic jams where you either have to run the AC during the summer to prevent heatstroke for passengers that can't just leave the vehicle; or during the winter (much more likely) while you have to run your engine to keep from freezing to death; all of those are valid reasons why you can run out of fuel on the Autobahn and won't be fined for it. However, if you were just too lazy to fill up, or you were too broke or too stingy to fill up at one of the many, many gasstations along the Autobahn (usually one less than every 25 km on average), THEN the cops will probably fine you. The high speed allowance on the Autobahn is the most cited reason for this. If you run out of gas suddenly, your engine will stall, cutting off all the power as well as most of the hydraulics in your car. If this happens at speeds of over 200km/h or roughly 125 mph, and you loose assisted steering, braking, ABS, and all of the other assistants you are so commonly used to, the situation can easily spiral out of control, endangering others as well as yourself. So simply, nope, don't run out of fuel on the Autobahn. Also, there are usually exits on the Autobahn roughly every 25 km or so, again on average, so getting off somewhere to find a non-Autobahn gas station is also usually no problem. ___ The restricted naming convention: yepp, the dignity of the child comes first. Giving your kid the name dickwad cuntface just because you as a moronic parent thought it was funny definitely isn't going to fly in Germany. The dignity of a kid growing up with such a name would be seriously jeopardized. Even with a lot more incongruous names like Dildo, Menstrual Cup, or other such object names you probably get the idea. If a kid would be bullied or at least constantly harrangued for its name, then, nope, that isn't in the best interest of the kid's future. So Germany, with its civil law system, HAS to provide a law BEFORE the fact ever occurs to make it illegal to do something like that. In civil law (in contrast to case law) it is impossible to retroactively make something illegal by making it a first time court case judged by a court. Such a law has to be either extremely specific to one special case; or much more commonly formulated in a somewhat broad manner which gives the respective governmental office / Amt the required leeway to approve or decline certain names. As you can't have a list of ALL names that could be considered disapproved, it had to be formulated in such a way to give the Standesamt the right to decide either yes or no. There are several cases where the decision of the Standesamt has been struck down to disapprove a name, but those cases are few and far between. Because this isn't usually done completely arbitrarily (which is abuse of your governmental power, which is fineable), but has to be supplied with reason and several examples why the disapproval was made. So unless you want to name your kid something totally outrageous, you'll usually be fine. BTW: Feli wasn't completely accurate; the gender specific name rule has been struck down very recently, so decidedly male or female names aren't officially necessary anymore. ___ Denying the holocaust and dignity: Feli basically said it. ALL your rights are subservient to the very first right: dignity. All other rights are available as long as your own rights don't infringe on the dignity of others. This was so important to the Bundesrepublik after the war due to several reasons. With this overarching rule that completely trumps all other laws there can't be sham court cases like the Nazi Volksgerichtshof that literally forced (false) confessions out of prisoners by torture which was then used to sentence these prisoners according the laws of the country. These extorted confessions violated all manner of other laws, but couldn't be prosecuted because there was no law against it. So the founders of the German Grundgesetz / German constitution placed this very first article above all others. This is ALSO the reason for the naming regulation above. The dignity of the child is a higher right than the parents' right of free choice of name. In the same vein you can't go around insulting someone without legal repercussions as you are violating their dignity. The penalties are regulated again by subservient laws. But that first article is ALWAYS the very first step to check for the lawmakers: does this law violate the dignity of a person or group of persons. If yes, there has to be an incredibly powerful reason for it. Otherwise, it is considered unconstitutional and is instantly voided, at least in part. ___ 11:48 Teensy little nitpick: nope, the Bundesverfassungsgericht isn't the federal high court of justice, but rather the constitutional court. The Bundesgerichtshof would be the federal high court of justice. ___ The du/Sie informal/formal adress: well, this is a technicality for persons of authority. If you are trying to be respectful, but a 'du' escapes as a non-fluent German speaker, cops will usually ignore that technicality. However, be a belligerent, agressive asshole, call them a 'du' followed by an expletive, like 'du Arschloch' / 'you asshole', then BOTH words will be considered in your fine. As the number of times you insult a person of authority is releveant in a potential law suit, this means that yes, adressing them informally is also considered a sign of disrespect. Much lower impact than the 'asshole' part, but still, it counts in that case. Again, in most cases the cops are gonna just ignore a 'du', unless you obviously use it to aggravate them intentionally. They do have quite a bit of leeway in that case. But in general cops in Germany aren't on the lookout to make you have a horrible day. When it comes to everyday usage the 'Sie' form, also called 'Siezen', 'to formally adress', you use it for any person that you'd normally show a certain amount of respect to. Similar to the armed forces where a superior officer is adressed as 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'. A little toned down, but definitely a general rule of thumb. Or if you meet the CEO of a company for the first, or even your potential boss during a hiring procedure. You also keep that formal adress up until after a certain time when you have established a true friendship. Usually the older then offers the younger the 'du' form; but in some case this may be reversed if the younger one holds a higher position of respect.

[@uliludwig2798]

Jurist? :)

[@RustyDust101]

@@uliludwig2798 Nö, aber nen sehr guten Juristen im juristischen Bereich des Studiums gehabt, der uns sogar in öffentliche Verhandlungen mitgenommen hat. Der war sogar selber Richter gewesen, hat sich aber für einen Beruf im Ausbildungsbereich umentschieden. Tolle Erklärungen eines furztrockenen Themas.

[@MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

I'm totally fine with Germany of ALL countries having the law that you can't deny the holocaust.

[@jancleve9635]

Me too and I am german.

[@nalajepper]

Im not!

[@jancleve9635]

@@nalajepper Good for you, I guess.^^

[@MattyEngland]

The whole thing was made up nonsense, they were nothing more than prisoner of war camps.

[@Anson_AKB]

even without that law, it would be illegal since it still would be violating the dignity of people (see also hate speech, laws against insulting people, etc). but it would be much harder and more time consuming to prove details about that "insult" (eg require personal victimship instead of a broader "insult against jews, minorities, etc") and details about history over and over again, and also putting repeated additional stress on the current and past victims and witnesses (who over time after 80++ years literally will "die out")

[@ingvarjensen1088]

But remember: There used to be times (and they are not THAT far away) when English speaking people used the pronoun "thou" to address another person. However, they didn't address a king that way, did they? It was always "you" and "your majesty", not "thou" and "thy majesty". Well, exactly this is what German, French and Spanish kept but English lost - to address an important or older person not with the same pronoun like your friends. And if such an older person feels a friendship growing towards you he or she will say "Du kannst 'du' anstatt 'Sie' zu mir sagen" - "You are allowed to address me 'you (thou)' instead of 'you (you)'". But this offer is always given by an older person to a younger one.

[@annarossi4855]

In Italy It Is the same: Unformal TU (for Friends and Kids) Formal LEI or VOI(authorities or old people, It Is respect !) Dear US Americans, Remember that for France Spain Germany and Italy our languages come from Latin, a complex and grammatically dense language. Germany for example has mantained the construction of sentences so similar to Latin more than italian. Also in Italy inappropriate nouns are not accepted by authorities recently this has become more strict and I fully agree. I live in an appartment near Milano and the rule of silence Is from 2 to 4 pm working days and Sundays. EU and US also for other things are so distant..... ❤ anyway for all and a special greeting to germans, Italy Is expecting you for Summer holidays, Sie sind immer willkommen! Anna

[@Kjartan1975]

Actually, I did not know that I could be fined for saying "du" to police officer, but otherwise it would never cross my mind to say to any police officer "du" because Germans are not used to do that. This concept must be very difficult to understand for English speaking natives but these informal and formal addresses are pretty common in most major languages I am aware of.

[@christianloser5038]

I contrast to your feeling about "Du and Sie" it was shocking that people from the US I worked with in Europe adressed me with "Sir". I always feelt very unconfortable. So I think you have similar or even stronger ways to adress people of "athoroty". I once "adviced" a coworker, who at this time was a friend with, not to call me "Sir" but "Master", he got my joke and never called me Sir again. I hope you understand what I want to say as a german native speaker. With friendly regards Chris

[@aphextwin5712]

Yes, the Sir/Ma’am thing is somewhat similar to the use of the formal pronoun ‘Sie’. But the ‘Sie’ has become less common over last 50+ years. There were times when children used the ‘Sie’ for their parents (though maybe only in some social groups). And the U.S. also things like ‘Your Honor’ for judges, which I don’t think has a German equivalent.

[@ileana8360]

Absolutely. I will always prefer a language which have this difference in addressing someone instead of using Sir or Mam. It reminds me more of servileness than mutual respect. It is also very versatile in it´s usage. Although I am happy that we do not have to adress our parents with "Sie" anymore😂

[@aphextwin5712]

@@ileana8360 Yeah, the Sie/du is usually not hierarchical in that in a conversation both sides use the same pronoun (Sie or du) to address each other. That is a key difference to the Sir/Ma’am usage. The main exception to this is children which are universally addressed with a ‘du’ while they address adults (outside of family and close friends) with a ‘Sie’.

[@ileana8360]

@@aphextwin5712With regard to children: I still remeber how I felt like an adult when our teachers started to address us with "Sie" in the 13th grade. It was one part showing respect for our new status and one part preparing us for the outside world with going to university and entering a professional world.

[@Londronable]

Haha, here in Belgium I don't even know the last name of my boss or my boss's boss etc. It's all on first name basis. Still use formal speech with customers of course.

[@languageatworkinh.r.-b.kip8043]

I could not agree more with the "name law" because I consider giving a child a name that *guarantees* that they'll be bullied at school or that will be prohibitive of them getting a job later in life is a form of at least contempt and at most abuse.

[@tubekulose]

15:05 It's not only a German thing to have two ways of adressing people. You can find the formal and informal address of people in a lot of languages all over the world, just as she said and even YOU had it in the English language until some time ago: In former time the pronoun "you" was used to address several people only (!) EXCEPT (and that's the point) you were addressing a single person commanding respect. for this purpose you had and still have: you, your, yours, ... But to address a single person you're closer related with you used to have: thou, thy, thee, thine, ... As you see you even disestablished your informal adress in favour of the formal one. 🙂

[@embreis2257]

just two different forms of address is really mild compared to other countries/languages. honorifics and forms of address or even the levels of politeness in speech is much more pronounced in some Asian countries. e.g. Korean knows *five* different levels of formality in speech (although nowadays only three are still widely in use), Thai and Japanese know several layers of formality when addressing someone. Swedish has two forms but this is rapidly fading out to just one. and make no mistake: English still has several ways to express rank and superiority when two people talk to each other

[@tubekulose]

@@embreis2257 Thank you for the addition! That's quite an interestig topic.

[@philbaker2005]

Hey Joel, I did a bit of research on weird laws in the US. It is illegal in the State of Florida to sing in a bathing suit or have sexual relations with a porcupine. In Montana, it is illegal for married women to go fishing alone on Sundays, and it is illegal for unmarried women to fish alone at all. It’s illegal to drive blindfolded in Alabama. You’re not allowed to drive a black car on a Sunday in Denver, Colorado. In Minnesota, women may face 30 days in jail for impersonating Santa Claus.

[@lorrainemoynehan6791]

regarding names. There's a David Mitchell soap box episode on naming children, maybe digit out. His point, which I actually agree with, is a bland, neutral name gives a child the chance to develop into who they are. Bizarre names can be a hindrance or embarrassment for the child and cause of ridicule or bullying. Teachers too may have an unconscious bias against certain names. And who wants to be called to a job interview when you have no chance of the job, but just the novelty factor of your name. By all means have a family nick name, but think carefully about saddling your child with this....for the rest of their life

[@Lilygirl283]

It's the same in the Netherlands, jij or U, it depends whom you are speaking to, it's called respect...

[@LuigiSpumante]

Even the youngest kid is a human with all human rights. So: you as a parent cannot "own" your kid. And therefore, you cannot give it any name you want to, to not harm it later in live.

[@drsnova7313]

Regarding naming children: As a German, I'm absolutely for it. Because parents don't OWN their children. And idiot parents must be prevented from giving names to their children that potentially will cause them a lot of grief.´later in ife. Regarding Formal/Informal address: Probably you don't "get" is, because English has no formal address anymore (or rather, the informal went a way, and the formal became the norm). But you can imagine it as calling a police officer "boy" or "buddy" instead of "sir" or "officer". It's that level of disrespect.

[@dragonfly_86]

Sound rules are similar in Australia. There are noise restrictions for certain parts of the day (night and weekends).

[@ShawueFan]

It's important to have rules for naming your kid... because it's not about "what the parents want", it's about what isn't bad for the kid in his later life. Names shouldn't be a "if they hear your name they always will think of your dad"-thing like Elon Musk did...

[@noopaa_j]

I wanted to comment on the naming you child one, but a lot of people have done that already :) As for our many many laws, not every single on will be enforced with the same level of seriousness. Most people won't go to the police for being insulted, especially if its a private matter, although they could. You are also supposed to wear a helmet while riding a bike until a certain age. However the police won't stop every single minor on their way to school and ask them where their helmet is 😅

[@juwi8135]

In Germany, your freedom ends the moment your freedom or your actions would violate, restrict or take away the freedom/dignity of someone else. This is a basic principle that can be applied to daily interactions and criminal law. Laws and rules are mostly there to protect others. Even if you do not understand them, they might be there for a good reason, even if it is not obvious for all. In Germany, children become a subject of the law after completing birth, with rights and duties. The dignity of the human is more important than your rights as a parent. If you as the parent restrict or violate the dignity of your own child, the state is forced to protect the dignity of the child even against the parents. As mentioned in other comments, parents are not allowed to endanger the physical or mental health of a child, that includes physical punishment, e.g.slapping your child is forbidden.

[@silkyh]

Germans owned up to its history. You have to own it, repair it, heal and move on. The US needs to do that to.

[@mattiasschulz5349]

Fun fact for you Joel, which you may or may not already know.. when Feli says "Servus" , this is used for both "hello" and "goodbye".. also, it is only really used in Bavaria in the south on Deutschland. You wouldn't typically hear this being used in other parts of Germany.. another common greeting that is used primarily in the south of Germany is "Grüß Gott" (meaning Gooday/Hello, literally translates to 'Greet God'). But yes, as soon as she says Servus, i know she is from München! (Munich, Bavaria) 😊

[@mattiasschulz5349]

Another one, in response to the names which are illegal.. we have certain names here in Australia that you cannot name your child too! (I can't offer any examples off the top of my head, but i know its a thing here as well).

[@ub681904]

In the north we say "moin" 😂 in the morning, afternoon and evening.

[@lilly6766]

Hi from Denmark 🇩🇰 I really love watching your channel. You are so open to think and see other ideas about life. You also seem really smart! 🎉 and I wonder if you are planning how you can go explore the world? + I would love some lifestyle content, A Q&A, vlogs. I think you have the opertunity and personality to make this a living.

[@79BlackRose]

Yeah, her videos are really, really good. But your reactions are gold! Brilliant entertainment Joel. 😀

[@arnodobler1096]

A child is not property in Germany. It has its own rights and they must be protected!

[@arnodobler1096]

Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany Art 1 (1) Human dignity is inviolable. It is the duty of all state authority to respect and protect it. (2) The German people therefore profess inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every human community, of peace and of justice in the world. (3) The following fundamental rights shall bind the legislature, the executive and the judiciary as a directly applicable law.

[@sisterJulee]

Police officers tend to be friendly and chill in Germany, mostly it is not a problem to ask them for directions or whatever, to have a little exchange with them on the streets if there is no tension or emergency situation going on. In Berlin I have heard several times people address police officers informally, this is very natural for locals, expecially the ones who speak the Berlin dialect. If a police officer would take offence, they could warn you about it before give you a fine, but usually police over here are much better at deescalating and beeing diplomatic then many US cops.

[@JohnHazelwood58]

...the name law: Elon Musk named his son "X Æ A-12" ... Are you really fine with that? o_O

[@sayurikitamura7109]

Lots of love from Germany! 🎉 There's usually always a good and serious reason for the rules. As you might notice most of the rules are there to prevent harm or bother and some have this historical background (we are not kidding with). Other countries have other experiences and history, I suppose. Our first paragraph about you having a right to have dignity, is something developed under tears, excrements, blood and the loss of human dignity of so many. We are maybe as proud of it as you are on the right of freedom. The law about the names is grounded on this as well (and as she said, there are laws against child abuse, too). The rules have to count for everyone, so it might seem a bit harsh when you think of normal names. Don't think of normal names. Think of people who wanted to call their babies "Hitler" or "accident". The rules about practising musical instruments are a hole different thing, though. That's made from constipated people with no buttholes for complaining old people with too much time on their hand. (And yes, I would be allowed to say this in Germany 😉) Keep being awesome and interested!🤗

[@RevPeterTrabaris]

Having spent a month in Germany years ago, I can tell you that life there is so much more pleasant than here in the U.S. The "du" thing, is a thing. It is how the language works. I can see how that would be taken as an insult. I would never use the informal with someone that I didn't know and had permissions to. When I was young, and we were much more respectful of each other in this country, while not legal law, it was definitely the case that social mores did not allow one to be too informal with people. Children always referred to adults by Mrs. or Mr. and their surname, for example. We said Mam or Sir. Unfortunately, this kind of respect has essentially disappeared. Except, perhaps, when speaking to the very old. And, we do have some restrictions to free speech in the U.S. The most famous is not shouting fire in a theater, that is a thing. I think our society would be better if we had more restrictions surrounding language, and I am a progressive liberal. I so wish it was illegal to deny the Holocaust. Having known actual holocaust survivors, it tears me up every time I hear the holocaust denied in this country. I also like the law about naming children. I don't know how many people I have known, and been the pastor of, who were given crazy names. The spent their adult years using different names, but when growing up were terrorized because their parents named them something very out of the norm. This was a very interesting video. Thanks for doing it. Peace

[@pami333]

It may be your child but what parents very often forget is, this child is a human being who has their own rights. And I'm very much for this law, as too many parents simply don't give a sht or even think about the possible consequences this might have for their kids later in school. Man, I've seen bullying because of names that actually are allowed but not very 'fashionable' anymore, imagine what hell it could cause if people name their kids after cities, toys or their favourite Karmasutra position? This is mental and maybe physical damage that could so easily be prevented.

[@knightwish1623]

Here in Germany when we had our first son we wanted to name him Jason, at first it was declined but after the clerk had a word with the boss in the office it was allowed. My sister in law had the same problem because she wanted the name Dustin for her son which also got allowed after a discusion. This was back in 1983.

[@Petroschka1979]

You can say, around every 50 to 70km are gas stations with toilets and food. And in between are big and small parking lots with mostly toilets, they are also for truck drivers, because they also regulated how long they allowed to drive when they have to take a break.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

On the limit to freedom of speech. In my probably very German opinion, every freedom has to be limited, where it infringes on the freedoms and rights of other people. That is a pretty good rule of thump for me.

[@nearlysimon]

As a German the concept of 'Parents should be able to name their kids whatever they want' doesn't make much sense. I mean a child is not some kind of property / object. Why should they be allowed to name a human being potato head or something? 😂

[@PeterBuwen]

You might name your kid "Dicky" for example - because it's your kid. But on the other side he's a human of himself and could have some problems by growing up even it's just funny for you. You won't give your child the name satan but there are people who would do. For this reason it's good like it is in germany.

[@johnnyuk3365]

I have a cousin whose last/family name is Bird, which is not that unusual in the U.K. His idiotic parents named him Robin. I.e he was Robin Bird. His parents may have thought it cute when he was a few days old but he had an horrendous time when he started school with the other kids, being followed around by them saying “tweet tweet” all the time. His mum was worried about him looking so sad and crying in bed until his teacher told her the problem. They changed to using his second name Daniel but it did stop the other kids calling out “tweet” from time to time. Children can be very cruel with others that are a little different. So name combinations are important as well. In the U.K. we have no law about names as such, but when parents register their child the Registrar will try to persuade parents not to use inappropriate first names. As others have said parents don’t “own” their children, children have a right not to have strange or offensive names.

[@magnoliads2547]

Regarding the formal and informal "You"... that is something very important in all languages which separates those meanings (that would be every language except English I guess) In German (I am from Austria BTW) "Sie" is very important to use - as already mentioned in this video - for people who are older than you (out of respect for them), because he/she is a stranger, he/she is your boss, teacher,... and you always adress those people by theire last name. It is not common to say "Sie" and use the first name. "Du" - the informal "you" - is used by kids (and they are not going to be arrested even thou they would use it to adress the President 😊), teenagers, friends,... Normaly someone is telling you, you can say "Du" instead of "Sie" (coworkers f.e.), but there is also an "unwritten" rule (at least in Austria)! 1. The older one is giving the younger one the permission to say "Du" and use the first name. (It is called "Das Du-Wort anbieten")... except if... 2. the superior of yours is younger than you, than the superior is giving you the permission... (and in both cases it can be a huge step forward) or... 3. enough alcohol was involved at the last companies party, than you can end up being on "First Name Basis" with the CEO 🤣 It is very impolite to adress someone you don't know, someone who is older and authorities with "Du". And with "Du" the barriers between what's OK and what's not can get blurry. My first "boss" waited one year to give me his permission to call him on First Name Basis. He said to me "Always be careful, because it is way easier to say "Du Arxxloch" instead of "Sie Arsxxloch" (both mean "You A-hole"). And that is something I don't really like in the english language, because there is no difference between "You" and "You" ... how do you show your respect?

[@sweeperboy]

The "du" rule with police officers would never be enforced (one hopes) with someone struggling with German as their second language - _intent_ is key here. For Germans though, it would be deeply ingrained not to use "du" unless in appropriate circumstances (close family members, friends, etc). Therefore, the default when speaking with adults is *always* "Sie", especially with people you don't know. For a police officer to be referred to as "du" by a member of the public who is native German and of sound mind therefore is almost certainly a direct and deliberate insult and would not happen accidentally. It's like how you don't *have* to swear at a police officer (unless you have Tourette's) and if you do so, it's your choice unless there are overwhelming personal circumstances.

[@lorrainemoynehan6791]

on the naming issue. Davis Bowie, and it pains me to call him out for this, but no one's perfect, named his first child Zowie Bowie. That man changed his name to Duncan Jones (I think he has Zowie as a middle name)

[@jokami1051]

As a Dutchy working in Germany alot, knowing the difference between du and Sie was a lifesaver...

[@JacksLoom]

One remark to the "du" and "Sie" thing with the cops: To maybe understand it a little better you could compare the "Sie" to adressing someone with "sir", you basicaly just have an extra word to use WITH the "you", while we germans just change the "you"/"du" direktly for "Sie". You would propably always use "sir" when talking to officials/older people and so on.

[@Sir_Rantalot]

In English, there once were formal/informal adresses as well, called "Thou" and "Thee". Sounds familiar?

[@PausDinNRW]

IOpion to rule 2: 'm an educator in Germany. In my Opinion, i think its great, that the personality of the young baby, wich becomes a kid, a teen, an adult gets this much respect. You got be safed from some stupid ideas your parents could have. You are the one who has to live with the decission they made for you as long as you are old enough to get a name change. But with bullying before, it could be to late, the damage on the personality is already done. So, i agree to this rule 100%

[@phiabee7064]

For the name thing: if the name you want to give your child isn't technically in the book of approved names they will still accept it, if it's like....a reasonable name... Alternatively you can prove that the name you choose is common in the culture you are from.

[@kinderoffender]

I really love the rule about the quiet hours. It makes resting a lot easier and my time just generally more enjoyable. And from what I've seen people aren't even that strict, if you're not being a dick. Usually they won't mind if you listen to some music in the evening or party a little on sunday, as long as it's not obnoxiously loud and doesn't happen too often. They'll also usually first come to you themselves and ask you to keep it down before they call the police. So just be nice and you'll probably be fine. (Of course there are always some people who will even call the police if you close the door too loudly for their taste, but it doesn't happen often)

[@bermudaxxv]

Ahoi, hallo or Moin I would say here in north east germany (mecklenburg vorpommern /the german part of pommerania). I just found ur channel and I rly like perspectiv about how u as american reacting to german culture, brands and influences in ur own culture. Pls make more of this stuff. :)

[@tboi112]

Hi Joel, we in Germany think the right of others to express themselves ends were it infringes the rights of others. E.g.: Noise laws, or insulting others law but as well name your kid officially a name which can be later get the kid in trouble (the kids right ways higher than your right of being stupid and give your kid a stupid name). You can have ever call you kid unofficially what you want. For the noise, if a neighbor calls the police they will give you a warning when the come around for the first time. If they need to come again, they might confiscate your HiFi system for a day.

[@marlene.k2620]

Saying „at the end, it’s your child, so you can name it whatever you want“ for me feels like, you can’t say anything if someone abuses his child, cause in the end, it’s their child… some one has to look out for the well-being of the child.

[@michaelbock19641]

Limiting the names isn't a bad idea, although there really aren't many. I have been working with youth for 34 years. I have often experienced there that some forms of names ensure that there are negative prejudices. For example, Jeremy Pascal, Roni, Pam, formerly Sascha and Enrico are interpreted as socially weak and poorly educated. It has been proven that children have to struggle with unconscious prejudices throughout their lives.

[@ub681904]

Teachers: "Kevin is not a name. Kevin is a diagnosis."

[@Arltratlo]

@@ub681904 haha, Gedankenleser??

[@anonymousgerbil8336]

@@ub681904 A classic!

[@gerwinbitter4968]

The formal address has its advantages by keeping undesirable people in your midst at arm's length without coming across as being rude.

[@dudoklasovity2093]

Josh, for the names part. It’s not like one has to have a name approved. In Europe each day bears a person’s s name. We call it namesday, its actually celebrated like second birthday with presents party and all. So all available names are in calendar and one can pick a name for a child. (Like for example mine is Dusan and in Slovakia my namesday is on May 26th). True that if one wants to name a kid something outside what’s ‘normal’ range or something really extravagant or even derogatory , it can be rejected by local registry office. It’s for protection of the kids (I think you might get a hardship in live if they name you ie Moon Unit Zappa.😂 It’s difficult to explain but it’s the system and cultura is so different.

[@cadifan]

New Zealand also has naming laws. That doesn't mean you can't name your child whatever you want, it means you can't name you child "Basket of fruit" or anything equally ridiculous. You also can't name your child a title, Royal or otherwise. 99.9% for names get through, there's just that 0.01% that's not allowed. Oh and America, hate speech should never be protected under free speech.

[@Nemockzans]

Regarding the noise laws: it is only noise that can be heard beyond the bounds of your home, so if you play the piano at night in a room that is isolated enough so the next door neighbor can't hear anything it is totally fine

[@fabiano2655]

"Parents want to name their kid like that, it's their kids" No no no ! And if yes at least the kid could latter sue his parents for all the sufferings his bad naming caused. "Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you." Kahlil Gibran ;-)

[@Renzenrocker]

The first and most important law we have in germany ist "the dignity of a person is untouchable". Considering this giving a weird name to your kid and setting them up to get bullied by others is just cruel. I 100% stand by the 2nd law of the video.

[@axelminus]

'They should be able to name their kid whatever they want, it's their kid' is a crazy statement to me as a German. Parents don't own their children, they are 'just' the guardians, and have an obligation to not fuck up their childs' life on day one. Just look at what Kanye, or Elon Musk did to their children just to feel important

[@BerndFunken]

About the "Freedom of Speech" thing: we don't have that in Germany, but we have the Freedom to express our own opinion and believes in public. This is a small, but important difference. In Germany everyone has the right to be unharmed by actions and/or words, means you are not allowed to beat or insult someone and especially the right to not be insulted would collide with a right for freedom of speech.

[@DerJarl1024]

In Germany, the child is not the simply property of the parents, who can do whatever they want with it. So parents can't give a name that will damage the childs peronality for the rest of its life. The child is an individual worthy of protection, whose care also lies with the state. This can be seen on a small scale in the naming to avoid bullying and thus a bad development as well as, for example, in the costfree education system. Every child should have the best chance to develop well and freely and to make the most of their abilities. This is also in the interest of society, which - in the case of Germany - later gets this investment in education back in the form of higher tax revenue through better jobs in well-paid professions.

[@sandrogattorno4962]

The German code is almost identical to the Italian code therefore all the laws listed are very similar to the regulations in Italy with some small exceptions (Example; here the custody of the ashes of a loved one is allowed but a very close heir must act as guarantor of the custody and I think it is practiced by less than 1% of the population). Also in Italian we have two forms of grammar, we use the "Tu" (You) with friends and peers but with strangers, if they are adults, we use the "lei" third person singular, while in ancient times we used the "Voi" second person plural. In the English language you have abolished the colloquial form "Thy" and use only the formal form "You" second plural. Children's rights take priority over adult rights, so an idiot parent who condemns their child to mockery (see Elon Musk naming their child XY/19 or whoever remembers) gets stopped, rightly so IMHU. Freedom of speech is widespread in all democracies but it is not absolute in any, in the USA it is forbidden to yell "Fire" in an airport because it would cause panic and accidents, in many countries defamation is forbidden and in some others it is also forbidden to 'hate speech as well as stochastic terrorism (Largely abused in your USA) "I do not share your ideas but I will fight to the death for you to be free to express them" is a quote from a famous French enlightener, but updated to the current social world , fake news etc. it is clear that even the word must have stakes.

[@renatewest6366]

If you make the Nazi salute and say Heil Hitler , you will be arrested and could go to prison.

[@Jacob_X]

the thing with formal and informal "you"... we have that in more languages than german, for you to understand, it's like you went to mr. president and started conversation with "aye bro"

[@Beau634]

When I first arrived in the UK, I was surprised that everyone was on first-name terms with each other. Since that's all I heard, it seemed rude to me to address elderly people as 'you.' In countries like Germany or the Czech Republic, we use the informal 'you' only with people we know and when we mutually agree to it, or with children, or within the family. Out of respect for others and as a matter of politeness, we address others as 'you' in the formal sense, which we consider courteous and well-mannered. So, it might seem strange to English speakers, but to us, it's perfectly normal and no one gives it a second thought. In fact, in ancient times, children would even formally address their parents out of respect for them. Regarding names, in the Czech Republic, as in Germany, only approved names can be given to children. This has nothing to do with freedom of speech but is out of consideration for the child, so they are not bullied or ridiculed in their life. Imagine if someone named their child 'crucifix'; think about what that child would endure. You can give them any nickname you like, but that's just a nickname; the official name should be a normal name, not a mathematical formula. Another thing, in the Czech Republic, it is also illegal to deny or downplay the Holocaust. This is a very sensitive topic, and it was a lot of suffering, and therefore these atrocities must not be trivialized or denied out of respect for the affected people. Freedom of speech does not mean that I can say anything I want without consequences and infringe on the rights of others.

[@SuperDebyO]

The urn thing is the bit that got me. In the UK, you can do what you want with the urn & the ashes, obviously within reason. Many people keep their loved ones ashes in their homes, until they are ready to part with them. 🤷‍♀️

[@elliearts8432]

Haha... I was born in East Germany in the year of the "Wende"*. My dad was a Stones fan and wanted to name me after one of their songs. The office in the city where I was born was against it because of the English pronunciation, so it had to be approved in East Berlin first. So I was officially nameless for the first week of my life until they gave the okay. *The year the wall between East and West fell.

[@heinv.frohnau505]

As far as loud noises go: As an American, remember that we in Germany are much closer together than most Americans, even if we live in our own house here. Even in very good urban residential areas, the plots are very rarely even 1000 square meters in size. But anyone who lives in a single-family home on a plot like that can play instruments at any time, as long as they don't disturb the neighbors. My mother often played the piano late into the night. The older houses in Europe in particular are made of stone or brick, which presumably lets less sound out. This is called "Massivbauweise" (solid construction) here.

[@Jolie83]

😂 😂 😂 Quiet time. Yes of cause. I would actually get torture feelings when I want to sleep and my neighbor wants to make loud music, so that I can't sleep. I would asking if they don't know the word headphone. Use it. Also, when you are working from Monday to Saturday every morning from 6 am, the wish for one peaceful day is clear.

[@mikkyo3509]

well, the thing with the name of the children....the parents do not own the children and the law is there to protect children from mistakes made by parents just because they think it's nice.

[@keelycommando2192]

I'm from Germany and in general I actually really like the name law since it prevents bullying later in life. Yes, it's the parents' kid but the kid itself is also their own person so it's good to have a system in place to make sure the parents don't abuse the power of naming their kid, for example, to make a political standpoint our something alike. I am a bit bothered by the regulations for new names since it's the reason my second name didn't get approved. However, the laws have changed since 2003 and I plan on changing my name in the future if possible.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

5:52 Joel literally felt seen and called out 😂

[@twinmama42]

Number 2: I support the law concerning names that could cause bullying in the future and the separation of first and second names (though there are a lot of first names that became second names at some point in history). My husband and I gave our twin boys two first names in case they didn't vibe with one of them (they both got an outdated/traditional name connected to ancestors and a more modern/in-fashion name). It's all about protecting the children from harm.