249. Who is primarily responsible for the upbringing of children in Germany?

Answer options

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

Explanation

Article 6(2) of the Basic Law declares the care and upbringing of children to be the parents’ natural right and their primary duty; the state holds only a supervisory function (Wächteramt). Interference is permitted solely on a statutory basis, where the child’s welfare is endangered, and must be proportionate, typically via youth welfare offices and family courts. This reflects a deliberate repudiation of totalitarian claims over child-rearing under National Socialism and certain Weimar-era tendencies. Schools and public institutions assist but do not supplant the parents’ primary responsibility.