![](\"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/56162a32f33f01f4c872c5bcf522fe17.png\")
<\/a>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.8.2″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\nAh, Sunday. A day off work, and the perfect time to catch up on all those little jobs which we otherwise never seem to have time to accomplish: clean the car, vacuuming the apartment, wash your laundry, maybe a little gardening or DIY.<\/p>\n
Not so when it comes to what’s known as “quiet time”<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Ruhezeit\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>in Germany. In fact, doing any of these activities on Sunday could land you in hot water with your neighbours, or even in court in extreme cases!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you’ve spent any time in Germany, you’ve probably noticed a serious reverence for the Sunday ‘day of rest’. Shops don’t open, most people don’t work, and towns become ghostly quiet on Sundays. But this respect for silence doesn’t just apply to shopping. There are also legally binding rules for how much noise you can make in your own home during these quiet hours. In Germany, if you rent or own a property, you’re usually bound by rules governing quiet time, that generally forbid you to make excessive noise on Sundays, or at night time during the week.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”30px||30px||true|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Quiet1-min.jpg” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ width=”65%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”95%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”12px” box_shadow_vertical=”12px” box_shadow_blur=”10px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.5)”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.8.2″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The exact hours can vary. Traditionally the quiet time was from 8pm to 7am, but it’s becoming more common to find this relaxed to 10pm to 6am. It’s best to check the specific rules for where you live to be sure. Sundays, however, are considered quiet time for the entire day. These German Sunday laws mean you’re not allowed to:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you fall foul of these rules which govern German quiet time, you could find yourself on the receiving end of complaints from your neighbours, being hit with a fine, or end up being taken to court. So if you’re unsure of the rules, we would advise that you play it safe. It’s best to plan the weekend so that you do any loud hoovering, music, or drilling on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.7″]<\/p>\n This biblical respect for Sunday as a day of rest is actually part of Germany’s constitution, the Grundgesetz<\/em>. It’s hard to say how many Germans still respect Sundays for religious reasons (although church affiliation has declined rapidly in recent times), but it’s safe to assume that most still appreciate having some time officially dedicated to peace and quiet. Germans work hard and value their peace and quiet during their free time.<\/p>\n The country is densely populated, especially compared to the US and Australia!\u00a0Germany has the surface area of Montana but with 82 million residents (thanks to Kaiserslautern US Military Community for this fact!). Most Germans, especially in urban areas, live in apartment blocks containing multiple housing units. German quiet time would otherwise be hard to enforce, given the high density housing most of the population resides in.<\/p>\n Combine constant proximity to other people with a hectic working week, factor in the German national obsession with regulations, and it’s easy to see how rules governing peaceful downtime became a matter of law. Put it simply, Germans take don’t just work hard and play hard, they rest hard too. And have made laws to enshrine everybody’s right to this.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.2.2″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/paid-banners-Q1-affiliate-515×280-eur.jpg” url=”https:\/\/go.nordvpn.net\/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=35853&url_id=902″ url_new_window=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.4.2″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.7″]<\/p>\n There are some signs of certain aspects of German quiet time loosening up though, if slowly…<\/p>\nGerman quiet time…the rules about the\u00a0Ruhezeit<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Where do these rules come from?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Are these rules changing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n