Category Archives: Germany
The last sunset of 2025
My father sent this photo from Kastl, a village in Bavaria, not far from where I grew up. It’s actually one of the nicer villages in the area, with an old monastery in Romanesque style, and with ample opportunity for … Continue reading
Treating Winter Depression with Expressionism
There are lots of things that people try against winter depression: light therapy, hibernation, drugs, electric shocks.
As a low-level intervention I recommend a visit to the museum. Continue reading
Antifa
Whenever someone wants to “ban Antifa”, I have to think of this photo. It shows the liberation of the concentration camp in Mauthausen by the US Army in May 1945. Looking at the banner with which the Spanish prisoners welcomed … Continue reading
Historical Ignorance
Zur deutschen Fassung. I am always a bit disappointed when my clients show little enthusiasm, as I explain to them that the finely balanced inter- and sometimes counterplay between federal laws, the state judiciary and municipal executive power in Germany … Continue reading
FAQ on Military Divorce in Germany
As you know, I am a lawyer in Germany and I specialize in international family law. But did you know how I got into family law in the first place? I grew up in Amberg, which used to have a … Continue reading
FAQ on Reclaiming German Citizenship – updated 2025
The FAQ on German Citizenship are the most popular post on my blog. But some aspects are so complicated, they warrant their own list of FAQ, like those on reclaiming German citizenship or German citizenship by restitution. I am a … Continue reading
Easily Confused (67) Peace Conference
Munich, 1938: A so-called peace conference at which the aggressor receives all the concessions he demands, the victim of the aggression is not represented, and the participants and observers act on the unbelievably naive assumption that world peace can be … Continue reading
FAQ on the Untätigkeitsklage for German Citizenship
I never thought that so many people would ask me to write about the Untätigkeitsklage, an obscure type of lawsuit contained in the German Rules of Administrative Court Proceedings. Honestly, I would much rather write about my quest for the … Continue reading
FAQ on German Citizenship Law – updated 2024
I am a German lawyer, specializing in German citizenship law. These FAQ are supposed to give you an overview of the basic principles governing this area of law, so you can decide whether a paid consultation is worth it. Before … Continue reading
Espionage as Exceptional Integration
As a citizenship lawyer, I am not very fond of clauses in the law that allow naturalization under exceptional circumstances. Far too many people think of themselves as very special, and I have to spend a large part of my … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 