Child protection in Germany

The article looks at the history of childhood in the society, the country of Germany, and abroad. Today’s view of children as legal persons, recognizing their endowment with competencies and resources but also their ontological dependence, is a rather ‘new’ perspective in human history. Therefore the article first focuses onto the UN-Child-Right’s-Convention which was ratified in Germany in 1992. Second, a closer look at the development of the legal foundations of child protection in Germany shows how child protection in Germany was developed. The reader will get an overview about the child protection system in Germany, afterwards. The article ends with some recommendations to establish a child-rights-focused perspective in the child protection system in Germany.