248. In Germany, the care and upbringing of children is primarily the responsibility of …

Answer options

1. the state.
2. the parents.
3. the grandparents.
4. the schools.

Explanation

Under Article 6(2) of the Basic Law, the care and upbringing of children are the natural right of the parents and a duty primarily incumbent upon them; the state community exercises a supervisory ‘Wächteramt’. This language continues Article 120 of the Weimar Constitution while explicitly rejecting the totalitarian claims of the Nazi regime to monopolize youth education (e.g., via the Hitler Youth). The state’s mandate in schooling under Article 7 GG complements but does not displace parental primacy. Any state intervention requires a legal basis, must satisfy proportionality, and be guided by the child’s best interests, typically via family courts and youth welfare authorities.