With the invention of the garage towards the end of the 1930s, the next logical step (in Germany, at least) was to create a law governing them.

It was called the Reichsgaragenordnung and came into effect in 1939.  And yes, it is still on the German statute book and valid to this day!

I first came across the name in the Hausordnung (house rules) for one of the flats that I lived in.

Im übrigen ist jeder Garageneigentümer zur strengen Beachtung der Reichsgaragenordnung verpflichtet.

But which rules does this law actually contain?

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Most people who know something about 20th Century German history, will know that the name “Volkswagen” is a translation of “people’s car”, and that the idea behind the Volkswagen was to create a car that a large part of the population of could afford.  It led to the the town of Wolfsburg being built in 1938 (although it only become known as such in 1945) to house the production plant for the cars.

What many are not aware of – myself included until recently – is where these cars were to be kept.  Obviously most of the houses built before 1938 did not have garages.  Certainly the housing used by the part of the popular expected to buy the Volkswagen did not have them.  This led to a Volksgarage being designed.

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Thousands of German employees breathed a sigh of relief a few days ago – the cancelling of the so-called Pendlerpauschale was ruled to be invalid by Germany’s constitutional court.

Germans pay a lot of tax compared to may other European countries, but they also have a lot more ways to claim tax back than in those other countries as well.  The rules are very complex, but generally speaking it is possible to offset such things as courses and books that you have paid for privately, as long as they are for your career.

Until the end of 2006, the cost of getting to work could also be claimed back,

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