The Bavarian Constitution is more colorful, more powerful in language, more practical and more caring than the Basic Law. A tribute to the 75th birthday.
Column by
Heribert Prantl
The Basic Law has accompanied me well almost all of my study and professional life, it is my manual, my vademecum. But there is a constitution book that I like even better, that touches me and makes me smile proud: It is the Bavarian constitution. In these days she will be 75 years old; it was born on December 1, 1946 – how else? – adopted by referendum; It came into force two and a half years before the Basic Law. It is an offensive, democratic constitution, it has great confidence in the people, including plebiscitary legislation. And there is already there, in Article 100, the guarantee of human dignity, which until then had no role model – and with which the Basic Law was later introduced.