Page:The Bonn Constitution (Basic Law FRG 1949).pdf/13



(1) Property and the right of inheritance shall be guaranteed. The contents and limitations shall be determined by legislation.

(2) Property shall involve obligations. Its use shall simultaneously serve the general welfare.

(3) Expropriation shall be admissible only for the wellbeing of the general public. It may be effected only by legislation or on the basis of a law which shall regulate the nature and extent of compensation. The compensation shall be determined after just consideration of the interests of the general public and the participants. Regarding the extent of compensation,appeal may be made to the ordinary courts in case of dispute.

Land and landed property, natural resources and means of production may, for the purpose of socialization, be transferred to public ownership or other forms of publicly controlled economy by way of a law which shall regulate the nature and extent of compensation. For the compensation, Article 14, paragraph (3), sentences 3 and 4, shall apply appropriately.

(1) No one may be deprived of his German citizenship. The loss of citizenship may occur only on the basis of a law and, against the will of the person concerned, only if the person concerned is not rendered stateless thereby.

(2) No German may be extradited to a foreign country. The politically persecuted shall enjoy the right of asylum.

Everyone shall have the right, individually or jointly with others, to address written requests or complaints to the competent authorities and to the popular representative bodies. Rh