German licencing laws re children in bars

ollaetta

I wonder if anyone can tell me if children are allowed in German bars/pubs?

My wife and I are bringing our 12-year-old neice to the Christmas market in Cologne this year but I cannot find anything online about German licencing laws.

undo

I did a bit of research for you. It is as I remember from when I was a kid. The regulations are not in any alcohol-related law but in one about protecting children (Jugendschutzgesetz). Here is the relevant quote from Wikipedia:

"Der Aufenthalt in Gaststätten darf Kindern und Jugendlichen unter 16 Jahren nur gestattet werden, wenn eine personensorgeberechtigte oder erziehungsbeauftragte Person sie begleitet oder wenn sie in der Zeit zwischen 5 Uhr und 23 Uhr eine Mahlzeit oder ein Getränk einnehmen."

So, a restaurant/bar can allow a child in between the hours of 5am to 11pm if the child purchases food or drink, is there in the presence of a legal guardian or someone authorized to act on behalf of the guardian. From the law's point of view, no problem. Whether a pub would be keen to have kids hanging around all day would depend on the pub itself of course. But if it is not some dodgy watering hole, they should be kid-friendly enough. Music clubs/discos will not let children in.

munchkin_utd

i would beg to differ on the translation :P
(well..... a slight clarification maybe)

The way I would phrase it is that kids <16 are allowed in a licenced premises:
- (24 hours a day) if accompanied by a parent/ guardian/ authorised person
- between 5 am and 11pm unaccompanied, so long as they are eating or drinking.

The way you mention the time first, its not certain what you meant, as in, is the time limit for being unaccompanied AND/ OR accompanied.

ollaetta

Great stuff. Thanks to you both.

undo

@munchkin_utd: Yes, you are right. I am a native German speaker and then end up mistranslating... oops. In my defense, I had woken up in the middle of the night and looked this all up half asleep .

markphillips

Having moved to Germany 5 months ago, I can tell you that as long as it is a non-smoking bar there won't be an issue. If it is a smoking bar, it's 18s only, although I am not even sure how strict they take that.

munchkin_utd

markphillips wrote: »

Having moved to Germany 5 months ago, I can tell you that as long as it is a non-smoking bar there won't be an issue. If it is a smoking bar, it's 18s only, although I am not even sure how strict they take that.

true

but,

I dont imagine that choosing to bring a 12 year old into a smoky pub is an option that any responsible irish adult would consider.

Especially as in this case, its not your own kid, thus risking a bollockin from your sister/ sister in law for trying to give their child lung cancer!!!!

Anyhow......
NRW where Cologne is, only allows smoking in special separate smoker rooms so in restaurants you'll have the main area non smoking and the room out the back for people to top up the auld cancer.
So there shouldnt be a problem getting some grub in a smoke free environment. (and should there be, theres always guaranteed smoke free mc donalds )

Heres a chart of the German smoking bans by federal state
(smoking is a cultural issue aparantly , like education or museums , so the law on what level of a smoking ban or not is decided by each federal state rather than central government.)

mathepac

munchkin_utd wrote: »

... theres always guaranteed smoke free mc donalds ...

Ich liebe es No fags but beer for the adults.

munchkin_utd

mathepac wrote: »

Ich liebe es No fags but beer for the adults.

hang on, youre right

and the next paragraph of the child protection legislation says that a child over 16 but under 18 cant be in a "gaststatte" (which i presume in legal terms is the same as licenced premises in 'Ireland) after midnight unaccompanied

so if micky D sells booze, it means that all the 16 & 17 years olds cant hang out there in the wee hours after midnight!!!

I spent my childhood in the chipper in ireland cos you werent allowed in the pub and its not like there was a youth club or anything down the country!! I never realised this wasnt allowed in Germany!

ok, sorry for getting off topic there, but it is worth remembering that cinemas and chippers in Germany do sell beer along with a lot of other establishments that wouldnt be obvious to the irish mind!
It can definitely come in useful at times!

undo

munchkin_utd wrote: »

"gaststatte" (which i presume in legal terms is the same as licenced premises in 'Ireland)

I think this is the fallacy in your argument. The licensing laws are very different in Germany after all. I have no idea whether any special license is required to sell alcohol. I do not think so. Thus, there is no such thing as "licensed premises". Any ole' kiosk or kebab place will sell you beer. And the biggest 24/7 liquor stores are the petrol stations anyway.

So, the definition of "Gaststätte" must follow other criteria than "serves alcohol"... and it might well be that McDonald's does not fall under these criteria, being a "Restaurant" or some such instead.