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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XII, 2020

70 Years Old and Still Going Strong -

A Look at Germany’s Constitution 30 Years After the Fall
of the Berlin Wall

H.E. Georg Schmidt 1

Abstract
Germany’s constitution, the “Grundgesetz” celebrated its 70 birthday in
th
2019. Born as a compromise in 1949 until Germany could reunite, it grew into a
‘peoples̓ constitution”. When the hour of reunification finally arrived in
1990 the Grundgesetz was kept. How could a provisional text born under
provisional circumstances become the best constitution Germany has ever had?

The article describes the experiences of the drafters of the “Grundgesetz”,
their lessons learnt from the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the tyranny

of the Nazis. With the support from the Western allies, the “Grundgesetz”
managed to reorganize Germany as a Federalist state with civilians in charge.
It was visionary in abolishing the death penalty much earlier than other
countries in Europe. It granted women equal rights. And, it introduced
Human Dignity as a guiding principle - overarching yet flexible enough
to develop with changes in society.

Keywords: Germany, Grundgesetz, Constitution, Human Dignity, Death
Penalty, Federalism, Constitutional Court Karslruhe, Social Market Economy.

1 Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Thailand since the end of 2018.

1
H.E. Georg Schmidt

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