Kranzgeld
The obsolete German legal concept Kranzgeld (literally "wreath money") was compensation paid to a woman of "immaculate reputation" if a man broke off his engagement after having had sexual intercourse with her.[1] This was a form of legal damages based on the premise that the woman would now have reduced marriage prospects.[2] "Immaculate reputation" (Unbescholtenheit) in this context meant "intact sexual honour" (Unversehrtheit der Geschlechtsehre), not strictly virginity; therefore, it could also apply to widows, but was lost through consensual extramarital sex.[3] (For example, a 1967 case was rejected because the woman had previously had sex outside marriage one time.[4])
The term refers to the wreath that a bride customarily wears at her wedding. Traditionally, a virgin bride was entitled to wear a wreath of myrtle flowers;[5] a non-virgin bride, on the other hand, had to wear a wreath made of straw.[6]
In Germany, Kranzgeld was regulated in paragraph §1300 of the family law, part of the civil code Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch published in 1896 and taking effect in 1900.[6] Kranzgeld was abolished in East Germany in 1952, but continued to exist in West Germany, and applied throughout Germany again after German reunification.[2][1]
The amount of compensation awarded to women in these cases decreased over time.[7][6][1] Finally, Kranzgeld was repealed on 4 May 1998. This followed a 1993 trial in which a woman had sued for 1,000 DM (about USD 600 in 1993)[8] because her ex-fiancé left her after they had had sex. The judge ruled that social norms had changed so that engaged couples having sex was no longer scandalous and a woman did not suffer reputational loss for having sex with her fiancé, and that the Kranzgeld law was therefore unconstitutional for violating the principle of gender equality.[9][7][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Felz, Sebastian (30 December 2022). "Kranzgeld: Schadensersatz für geplatzte Ehe". Legal Tribune Online (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- 1 2 Neißner, Aline (4 May 2026). "Heute vor 28 Jahren: Ein besonderer Anspruch für verschmähte Verlobte endete". TAG24 (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Kranzgeld - Rechtslexikon". www.rechtslexikon.net (in German). Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "ENTSCHEIDUNGEN". Der Spiegel (in German). 3 September 1967. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ Hinrichs, Dörte (27 August 2015). "Sexualmoral in Deutschland im Wandel - Schamlose Zeiten?". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Köster, Thomas (4 May 2018). "4. Mai 1998 – Kranzgeld wird abgeschafft". www1.wdr.de (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Verlorene Rarität". Der Spiegel (in German). 18 July 1993. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Historical US Dollars to German Marks currency conversion". marcuse.faculty.history.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ende einer schönen Tradition". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). 16 July 1993. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Kein Anspruch auf Kranzgeld nach Geschlechtsverkehr und Aufhebung des Verlöbnisses". urteile.news (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
