Grown up at 18!

The Bundestag lowers the age of majority

Whilst people in the Middle Ages came of age at 14 years old, this limit crept up over time. Some states of the German Confederation recognized individuals as adults at the age of 24 or 25, but by the 20th century, the age of majority was finally standardized at 21.

In 1950, the DDR decided that socialists reached adulthood at the age of 18. On 22 March 1974, it was decided that West German boys and girls would also become adults at this earlier age, starting from 1 January 1975. This meant that 18-year-olds would be able to vote and take on a whole range of other responsibilities. In criminal proceedings, however, Germans are still often dealt with as “adolescents” until the age of 21.