German court denies couple's request to change their "Russian" surname

An administrative court in Koblenz, Germany, has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a married couple concerning their application to change their Russian-sounding surname.

Source: Der Spiegel, citing the court ruling, as reported by European Pravda

The plaintiffs had applied to the municipality with a request to change their surname on the grounds that since the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, they and their daughter had allegedly suffered harassment in their daily lives because of their "Russian" surname. The surname in question was not reported, in line with German legislation on personal data protection.

When the municipality refused to change the surname, the plaintiffs filed an appeal. When the municipality did not make a decision for three months, they filed a lawsuit with the administrative court for failure to act. 

Quote: "The lawsuit was not successful," the administrative court stated.

A change of surname in Germany is justified only if there is a valid reason. In this instance, that is not the case, the court argued. The fact that a surname is of foreign origin or does not sound German is usually not a valid reason.

The discrimination the plaintiffs said they had experienced since the beginning of the war because of their surname was not serious enough to justify the change. Nor had the plaintiffs proved that the surname they bear was a psychological burden for them and their daughter.

Economic reasons did not justify changing the surname either. According to the court, these affected only the plaintiff’s secondary activities. As far as the plaintiff's main job was concerned, there was no indication that their last name could have a significant negative impact on the family's economic situation.

The court's decision is not final and may be appealed.

Reminder: In March, a court in Wiesbaden, Germany, fined a man €1,500 for going to work wearing a T-shirt with the letter Z, the symbol of Russian aggression. The fine was to be paid to an organisation that provides assistance to Ukrainians.

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