Practice test 9

Correct answer: the Second World War

The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. It began on 1 September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland and ended in Europe on 8 May 1945 with the unconditional surrender of the German Reich.

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Correct answer: 1989

The Berlin Wall was opened to everyone on 9 November 1989 after SED official Günter Schabowski unexpectedly announced free travel at a press conference. The division of Germany was de-facto over; reunification followed on 3 October 1990.

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Correct answer: the Federal President

The head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany is the Federal President. He performs mainly representative functions, signs laws into force and ranks above the Chancellor in protocol, while the Chancellor leads the actual government business.

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Correct answer: You can vote by post.

In federal and state elections every eligible voter may cast their vote by post. You request the postal-voting documents from the municipality, mark the ballot at home and return it in good time before election day.

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Correct answer: the courts

Courts belong to the judiciary, the third branch of state power, which interprets the law independently. The executive, by contrast, comprises the federal government, the administration and the police – the organs that implement the laws.

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Correct answer: a resolution of the United Nations

The State of Israel was founded on 14 May 1948 on the basis of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine (Resolution 181 of 1947). The UN General Assembly had decided to create a Jewish and an Arab state in the territory.

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Correct answer: Social security

Anyone in permanent employment automatically pays social security contributions covering health, pension, unemployment and long-term care insurance. They are deducted directly from gross pay, with employees and employers each bearing about half.

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Correct answer: Everyone should have the same amount of money.

The Basic Law guarantees freedom, dignity and equality before the law, but not equality of wealth. A duty to share income equally would conflict with the freedom to choose a profession (Art. 12) and the right to property (Art. 14).

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Correct answer: the Bundesrat.

The federal states participate in federal legislation through the Bundesrat (Article 50). For laws that affect their interests or administration, the Bundesrat's consent is required (the so-called Zustimmungsgesetze).

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Correct answer: the head of a municipality.

The mayor is the political head of a municipality and leads its administration. In most German states the mayor is elected directly by the citizens and also chairs the municipal council.

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Correct answer: is in a wheelchair.

Refusing to hire someone solely because of a disability is discrimination under the General Equal Treatment Act (§1, §7 AGG). For a professionally qualified person, the employer must consider reasonable adjustments.

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Correct answer: USA, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France

After the Second World War Germany was occupied by the four victorious powers: the USA, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. They took over supreme governmental authority in 1945 and divided the country into four occupation zones.

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Correct answer: I can take part in a citizens' initiative to preserve the bus route or set up an initiative myself.

Anyone who wants to push back against a local decision can join or found a citizens' initiative. This way petitions can be organised, politicians lobbied and formal Bürgerbegehren launched – a classic tool of grass-roots democratic participation.

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Correct answer: Legislative.

The Bundestag and the Bundesrat together form the legislature, the lawmaking branch of the federation. The executive (Federal Government) implements laws and the judiciary (courts) interprets them; this separation of powers guards against abuse of power.

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Correct answer: divided by a wall.

From 13 August 1961 until 9 November 1989 Berlin was divided by the Wall. It encircled West Berlin over about 155 km and was built to prevent GDR citizens from fleeing to the West.

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Correct answer: 5

On 3 October 1990, five new federal states joined the Federal Republic: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. East and West Berlin were merged into a single state.

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Correct answer: black-red-gold

The German federal flag has three horizontal stripes in black, red and gold. These colours date back to the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon and were enshrined in Article 22 of the Basic Law in 1949.

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Correct answer: scrutinises the government.

The opposition scrutinises the government, exposes wrongdoing and presents political alternatives. Its main tools are parliamentary questions, committees of inquiry and the right to introduce its own bills.

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Correct answer: nationwide strikes and a popular uprising

On 17 June 1953, hundreds of thousands of workers in the GDR struck against raised work quotas; the protest quickly grew into a nationwide uprising. Soviet tanks crushed it, and the date served as West Germany's national holiday until 1990.

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Correct answer: the German army

The Bundeswehr is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was established in 1955 and in peacetime is subordinate to the Defence Minister, passing to the Chancellor in case of defence (Articles 65a, 115b).

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Correct answer: every four years

Article 39 of the Basic Law sets the Bundestag's term at four years, so federal elections are normally held every four years. Early elections happen only if parliament is dissolved, as in 2005 after Chancellor Schröder lost a vote of confidence.

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Correct answer: Peace and security in the countries of the EU

The 1984 gesture by Mitterrand and Kohl on the Verdun battlefields symbolises the EU's core aim: lasting peace and security in Europe after two world wars. Franco-German reconciliation is regarded as the engine of European integration.

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Correct answer: many small parties make it difficult to form a government.

The 5 % threshold exists because many small parties in parliament would make forming a stable government difficult. It is a lesson learned from the Weimar Republic, whose fragmented Reichstag was unable to produce workable majorities.

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Correct answer: Christianity

Christianity has shaped European and German culture, values, art and legal order for nearly two thousand years. Public holidays, architecture and much of musical history are inconceivable without this influence.

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Correct answer: Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Germany's current head of state is Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD). He took office in 2017 and was re-elected for a second five-year term by the Federal Convention in 2022.

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Correct answer: health insurance

Statutory health insurance is one of the five pillars of social security and protects against the financial consequences of illness. It dates back to Otto von Bismarck's social legislation of 1883.

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Correct answer: Compulsory attendance.

Compulsory schooling in Germany entails compulsory attendance: children must actually attend class, and homeschooling is generally not permitted, unlike in many countries. Unexcused absence can be punished with fines.

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Correct answer: Social Democratic Party of Germany

SPD stands for Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany). It traces its origins to 1863, when Ferdinand Lassalle founded the General German Workers' Association; it is the oldest German democratic party and most recently provided Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

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Correct answer: the Bundestag

The Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag on the proposal of the Federal President with the majority of its members (the so-called Chancellor majority), under Article 63. There is no direct election by the people.

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Correct answer: to form the Federal Cabinet.

The Federal Cabinet is formed by the Chancellor, who is elected by the Bundestag and proposes the ministers. The Bundestag's own tasks include legislation, electing the Chancellor and scrutinising the government.

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