Question 18 of 300 · Basic Rights

Question 18: Which basic right is guaranteed in Article 1 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany?

Official question from the BAMF catalog used for the Einbürgerungstest (German citizenship test) and the Leben in Deutschland test. Topic: Basic Rights.

The question as it appears on the exam

Welches Grundrecht ist in Artikel 1 des Grundgesetzes der Bundesrepublik Deutschland garantiert?

The Einbürgerungstest is written and sat in German only, with no dictionary allowed. Use the English below to understand the question, but learn to recognise the German wording above — that is what you will see on the day.

Diese Frage auf Deutsch →

Answer options

Adie Unantastbarkeit der Menschenwürdethe inviolability of human dignityCorrect
Bdas Recht auf Lebenthe right to life
CReligionsfreiheitfreedom of religion
DMeinungsfreiheitfreedom of expression

Correct answer

A — die Unantastbarkeit der Menschenwürde

the inviolability of human dignity

Why this is the answer

This question is about the Grundrechte — the basic rights in Articles 1 to 19 of the German constitution. The benchmark is Article 1: “Human dignity is inviolable.” Basic rights protect the individual from the state; they are never permission to harm someone else. That is why options about owning weapons or taking the law into your own hands are never basic rights, while freedom of expression, religion and assembly always are. Ask yourself whether the option protects a person's freedom and dignity. If it does, it is the answer.

Key exam terms in this question

These exam terms appear in the question or in the answer options. Once you know them, you can still spot the right answer when the wording changes.

das Grundgesetz (GG) — Germany’s constitution (Basic Law)
Das Grundgesetz ist die Verfassung Deutschlands.
das Gesetz — law / statute
Ein Gesetz wird im Bundestag beschlossen.
die Menschenwürde — human dignity
Die Menschenwürde ist unantastbar.
die Meinungsfreiheit — freedom of expression
Meinungsfreiheit erlaubt Kritik an der Politik.

All exam vocabulary with translations →

How this question fits into the exam

On exam day you answer 33 questions in 60 minutes: 30 from the general catalog of 300 questions — this question is one of them — and 3 about your federal state. You pass with 17 correct answers. Aiming for exactly 17 leaves no margin for nerves, so take timed mock exams until 33 out of 33 feels routine.

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