German orthography reform of 1996

The reform of German orthography from 1996 is a reform with the declared primary objective of simplifying the spelling in Germany. She was controversial both because of the desired changes in spelling as well as because of the procedure for enforcement from the beginning and led to clashes between supporters and opponents. In 2004 and 2006, the guidelines were revised in particularly contentious issues. In the schools, the reformed spelling is taught and used by most publishers in the form of oriented it home orthographies. In this article, especially the debate about the reform are presented. Your content can be found on the new German spelling reform of 1996.

4.1 Germany
4.2 Austria
4.3 Other countries
4.4 Proper names
4.5 Geographical Names

5.1 Newspapers and magazines
5.2 Geographical Names
5.3 Literature
5.4 policy
5.5 Economics
5.6 Other

6.1 Germany
6.2 Austria
6.3 Switzerland
6.4 Other German -speaking areas

7.1 politician
7.2 Language and literature researchers
7.3 Resolution to restore the previous uniform spelling
7.4 Academy compromise
7.5 book and newspaper publishers
7.6 Frankfurter appeal
7.7 writers

Objectives of the reform

In the final declaration of Vienna's first interview of 1986, the objectives of a spelling reform were outlined as follows: " Basic agreement has been reached on its rank on the Orthographic Conference in Berlin in 1901 uniform rules of German orthography adapt to today's requirements. It is particularly important to simplify the complex has become, in many parts of the spelling rules in the course of time. "

History from 1980

1980 of 80 German studies from the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Austria and Switzerland founded the " International Working Group for orthography " to coordinate and advance the scientific study of German orthography. 1985 by the Working Group on an initial proposal, which was to reform its exact spelling.

The considerations were driven by the two "Vienna talks" between 1986 and 1990, to those who had invited the Austrian government representatives from all areas where German is spoken. At the final declaration of Vienna's first call was announced, the " controversial case- insensitive " initially hide, to take them later in a " second step " in attack.

1987 gave the German (KMK ) the Institute for German Language in Mannheim the order, together with the Society for German Language in Wiesbaden to design a new set of rules. 1988 gave this one still incomplete proposals with numerous, far-reaching new rules (for example, new "bot " instead of " boot " or " Keiser " instead of " Emperor " ), which was rejected by the public and soon also by the KMK as unacceptable.

In parallel, the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education had a group of experts with the same order; the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and the Arts there was a " Scientific Working Group of the Coordinating Committee for spelling "; in the GDR, the " research group orthography " at the Central Institute of Linguistics at the Academy of Sciences.

Published in 1992, the International Working Group on an all areas of orthography treated proposal under the title " German Spelling - proposals for its revision " ( Narr, Tübingen). 1993 invited the KMK 43 associations one to comment. Hearings took place in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The IAR is pulled back then the demand for moderate sensitive. It was also in distinguishing the / that.

On the 3rd Vienna conversation, also called "Vienna orthography Conference", held from 22 to 24 November 1994 the results of consultation was the political decision-making bodies recommended for acceptance. Following the " political decision-making in Germany, Austria and Switzerland " should end of 1995 an agreement be concluded. The Dudenverlag made the results of the "Wiener orthography conference" in December 1994 in a pamphlet publicized and argued: "With the new regulation is not a reform in head and members ', but a little reform of reason ' ".

Decided in 1995, the German Minister of Culture in the KMK to introduce the new rules with some modifications later than 1 August 1998, with a transitional period until 31 July 2005.

On 1 July 1996, the German states, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and other countries committed by German-speaking population dividing by the Vienna Memorandum of Understanding establishing new rules of German orthography to introduce the reformed orthography until 1 August 1998. Some states have already led to the start of school in 1996/97 a the reformed rules in the classroom. It kindled a race to the publication of the first dictionaries in Reformed Spelling. For publishers, the spelling reform paid off: For many years the Duden top spots occupied on bestseller lists; the textbook market experienced a boom.

Public disputes since 1996

Critics complain that the German spelling reform of the public to low participation during the preparation of the reform by experts.

Only after the signing of the intergovernmental memorandum of understanding the new regulation in the general public has become known. As expected, the new regulations have been widely publicized with the appearance of new dictionaries in July / August 1996, urged opponents of reform to withdraw them. However, the Standing Conference rejected the then proposed by the reformers improvements. The Duden editorial acknowledged that many problems associated with the conventional spelling were connected mainly with the incomprehensible formulated and subtle representation of the rules of spelling in the dictionary.

At the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1996 hundreds of writers and scientists signed the Frankfurt Declaration for a halt to the reform.

After administrative courts had ruled differently in the course of 1997, the Federal Constitutional Court, the introduction of the reformed spelling rules by Minister of Education decree for the field of schools declared on 14 July 1998 legal.

Given the diverse criticism, the Interstate Commission for German orthography was established in 1997 to repair and continuation of the reform was launched.

In Schleswig -Holstein the reintroduction of traditional spelling was decided in a referendum on 27 September 1998. Prime Minister Heide Simonis had previously announced with the parliamentary majority annul the referendum again. The People's Law was actually lifted from the Kiel parliament in September 1999. In Bavaria 1996/97 a popular initiative was successful. But thus possible referendum was abandoned by the initiators to Friedrich thinking.

2004-2005 crisis, the reform

For World Book Day, April 23, 2004, has been published since 2000 language newspaper German language world rose for the first time a resolution on the withdrawal of the spelling reform before who signed until June 2005 from a variety of famous authors, celebrities, publishers, organizations, schools and associations been.

In June 2004, the Standing decided to set up a Council for German orthography, which took the place of the Interstate Commission. The decision was unanimous and can be changed only by unanimity. This body should take care first about the most controversial topics of the spelling reform, such as the composition and separate letters and the Germanization of foreign words ( " ketchup ", " purse ").

On August 6, 2004 said that the publishers Axel Springer Verlag (including picture), and Der Spiegel and the Süddeutsche Zeitung (with restrictions ) is also their intention to return to the traditional notation, which drew again heated discussions about the reform by itself. Other publishers and newspapers criticized this behavior. The taz let her edition of 12 August 2004 to appear and called the followers of the traditional spelling as " diehards " protest in lower case. A few days after the advance of mirror and Springer also want to go back to the old spelling of the Rheinische Merkur announced as another major newspaper.

At a meeting on 25 September 2004, the Standing Conference decided by a large majority, to hold for the mandatory introduction of 1 August 2005 on the appointment and perform repairs only in certain areas. Therefore, the reform was enforced on 1 August 2005 in 14 of 16 states, as had been agreed in the contract between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A special position had only Bavaria and North Rhine -Westphalia. While it also taught there to the new spelling rules, but also accepted pending the third version of August 1, 2006 or the old spellings.

On 6 October 2004, the Süddeutsche Zeitung explained that she - will not return to the earlier spelling - contrary to their notice.

On 17 December 2004 the Council of German Spelling took on his work.

An amendment to the Statute on 17 June 2005, the work of the Council for German Orthography was revised. ( Although this change was the basis for the activities of the Council members, the new text was not initially announced the members. ) This laid the Standing firmly surprising that the Council for German Orthography should propose amendments only in the classified of the ministers of culture as contentious areas. These were separate and coupled together, the punctuation and the spelling of foreign words.

With regard to the note relevant introduction of the reformed spelling rules in the schools several declared in July 2005 back to the earlier spelling returned print media (including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt) to want to continue to use the old spelling.

The absence of the word separation at the end of line in Council Regulations were later referred to as transmission errors. The areas of sound-letter mapping, upper and lower case letters and spelling with a hyphen, however, were classified by the ministers of education to be uncontroversial, although the Council had announced changes necessary for German spelling in these areas. The introduction of the institution designated by the Standing Conference be uncontroversial parts of the spelling reform should not be moved to a resolution of the Standing Conference, in other areas, the teacher should continue to practice tolerance.

Following this decision, there were several attempts to reach a nationwide moratorium in order to give the Council for German Orthography more time for his work. However, an attempt by the Prime Minister of the CDU - led government failed because of the minority vote for the SPD -governed Länder.

After a nationwide postponement had failed, the constitutional lawyer Rupert Scholz recommended to those states that wanted a postponement of the introduction of spelling reform, going it alone. There came on 16 July 2005, when the most populous states of North Rhine -Westphalia and Bavaria declared to suspend the introduction of spelling reform " until further notice". They want the results of the Council for German Orthography wait to " help the Council's recommendations to the success of " the.

Since 1 August 2005, the new German spelling rules in the schools of the Federal Republic of Germany in substances classified as uncontroversial parts, except in North Rhine -Westphalia and Bavaria, where still the transition rules were used were. On 2 March 2006, the Standing Conference agreed to the proposals of the Council for German Orthography, on 30 March 2006 confirmed the prime ministers of the states of the Federal Republic of Germany, the reform of the reform. The reformed spelling reform was introduced with no exceptions by individual federal states in Germany on 1 August 2006 with a one-year transition period.

2006 Introduction of the third version of the reformed spelling rules

On 27 February 2006 the Council for German Orthography of the Standing Conference presented a number of other recommendations for changes. They concerned mainly reformed upper and lower case as well as together and separate overrides. So should be about in " compounds of adjective and noun with a new idiomatisierten overall meaning " the capitalization of the adjective again be allowed ( the round table, the bulletin board ) and the word skate ( meanwhile called for: ice run ) back to its earlier form be restored. There was also a list of individual decisions, as in " I'm sorry ". Other changes included the word separation at the end of the line; for example, the separation of individual vowels at the word beginning or end as in "E - sel" or " bran -e" should no longer be allowed. The changes, which meant a return to the previous spelling for the most part, came with the new school year in force, the previous, reformed spellings should be faulted only after a transition period of one year as an error.

The KMK agreed on 2 March 2006 on the proposals of the Council, so that the re- reformed spelling was introduced nationwide on 1 August 2006 in the schools with a one-year transition period. On this date also featured image The world Hörzu and other media of Axel Springer AG to this notation. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung applies since 1 January 2007, a house orthography, which is based broadly on the reform letters of 2006, however, some exceptions, such as " stalk " or contains " rough ". The German press agencies with the exception of sda introduced from 1 August 2007, a new house orthography, although emanating from the reform letters from 2006, this, however, continues to approach the traditional spelling by the case of variants, for example, the separate and coupled together, the traditional notation is preferred. Other organs of the press, in turn, have their own house orthographies that select from the many alternative spellings of the reformed spelling binding overrides.

Legal liability of the reformed rules of spelling

Germany

The legal bases for the application of the new rules in Germany resolutions of the Standing Conference and decrees or circulars in which prescribe the education ministries of the federal states, the application of the reformed rules and the validity of the dictionary of official control for the education sector. " When in doubt, be " beyond that, it is for example formulated in Brandenburg, " Dictionaries basis that according to the statements of the publishing of the new regulation (2006 ) correct. " There are also - mostly in the form of mandatory service instructions - internal regulations in public institutions, authorities, companies and publishers that also the determine application of the reformed rules (often in the form of a so-called house orthography, ie with deviations from the official rules). A beyond the school setting legal liability did not exist before the reform and the reform was not introduced, not least as declared by the Federal Constitutional Court in several decisions.

The federal authorities have also adopted the scheme pursuant to a decision of the Federal Cabinet of 27 January 1999 to 1 August 1999.

Austria

In Austria, according to an official announcement by the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture through the reformed spelling rules spelling "of those institutions ( school administration), for which the State regulatory authority in terms of spelling has " regulated. Furthermore regarded as dictionary in " case of doubt, [ ... ] the Austrian dictionary in its current edition ."

Other countries

In Luxembourg, the reformed German spelling rules are binding for the school since 2005. South Tyrol has the rules adopted on 1 August 2005 for schools and public administrations, a representative of South Tyrol has negotiations also the revision of the reform.

Proper names

Proper names are completely excluded in the regulations.

Geographical Names

Also geographical names to be excluded in the regulations. For the uniform spelling of these names, the Standing Committee of all German-speaking countries is an on Geographical Names ( StAGN ), which, however, can only make recommendations. At its meeting on 17 September 1999 in Wabern near Bern, this committee unanimously decided an urgent recommendation to all competent authorities to apply the reformed spelling rules on geographical names. Should be excluded only spellings which already differ from the traditional spelling rules. This " strong recommendation " has been implemented only in a very small degree (2008).

Status of implementation

Newspapers and magazines

A lot of the periodicals appears now in a variant of the reformed spelling, usually with a house orthography. Of the nearly 200 newspapers and magazines (August 2005), which either still publish in the conventional spelling, have returned to this spelling, or have announced this change, especially the media of Axel Springer AG, after a further " reform the reform " August 1, 2006 transferred to a reformed spelling, which was often changed with their own in-house spelling variations. As before, the spelling is applied very unevenly. In August 2007, however, the German news agencies have not only agreed to apply the reformed rules, but also what spelling they use in those cases where the reform rules allow freedom of choice.

Although the FAZ returned in 2000 after a testing year for the traditional spelling back, but has introduced together with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on January 1, 2007, a house orthography, which is largely based on the reformed rules of 2006. The mirror and the Süddeutsche Zeitung announced in August 2004, also a return and gradually led traditional spellings again. However, the announced big change came. As in the " Zehetmair Commission" partly signs of a return to traditional spellings, however, the mirror followed from 2 January 2006 " the results so far of the Council for German Orthography ", that is, he now writes under the reformed rules of, 2006. Publications research & Education, inamo, Jewish General, Junge Freiheit, Junge Welt, concrete and Titanic appear more traditional spelling.

In July 2006, the Working Group of the German news agencies decided according to a customer survey, in principle, apply the reformed spelling, but prefer the older spelling for a significant number of approved future versions. Members of this working group are next to dpa ( German Press Agency ) and DAPD, a coalition of ddp ( German Depeschendienst ) and the German AP ( German Associated Press ), and APA (Austrian Press Agency ), AFP (Agence France-Presse ) Dow Jones, epd ( Protestant Press ), CBA ( Catholic News Agency ), Reuters, sda ( Swiss News Agency ) and sid ( sports information service). This house orthography is applied according to a published in the December 2006 decision since 1 August 2007. Quote: "The German news agencies AFP, AP, APA, Dow Jones, Reuters, dpa, epd, KNA, sid and Reuters put on 1 August 2007, at their spelling. In order to write not only correct, but also uniform, they have decided in all cases where different spellings are allowed for a certain. For example, writing, get to know ' and learn not to know ', ' dolphin ' and not ' dolphin '. "

Few media apply all rules to reform completely. The majority of works with its own house orthographies, the tradeoffs between traditional and reformed spelling are. In the new house orthographies especially the Reformed ß-/ss-Regelung ( Heyse'sche s case) is preferred. Worth mentioning are the house orthographies of Springer-Verlag, time, and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). While the house orthography of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung quite close is the traditional rules, away, designed by Dieter E. Zimmer for The Time House orthography further from the traditional spellings than the reformed spelling rules in 2006 ( for example, " Foton " instead of " photon" ).

Geographical Names

At its meeting on 17 September 1999, the Standing Committee of all German-speaking countries decided on Geographical Names ( StAGN ) at its meeting in Wabern near Bern unanimously strong recommendation to all competent authorities to apply the reformed spelling rules on geographical names. Should be excluded only spellings that have deviated from the traditional rules. To avoid any possible misunderstanding regarding the above recommendation, the StAGN are following additional statement: "The recommendation of the StAGN does not mean that all existing geographical names are adapted from each competent institutions (government, provinces, municipalities, offices) of the new spelling need, but that the official rulebook is only binding if new geographic names will be created or if the responsible for that institutions consider it appropriate to change the spelling existing geographic names. " This" strong recommendation " has been so far ( 2008) only in low level of implementation. The Swiss Federal Office of Topography, at the seat of the StAGN met, has now changed the spelling of his name in Federal Office of Topography.

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