<p>Anyone’s whose ever been to Germany knows they’re very fond of their many odd, strictly enforced and often totally illogical laws but this one tops them all… </p>
<p>I just read a story about a number of US academics in Germany at the Max Planck Institutes that are currently facing criminal prosecution under federal law and up to a year in jail for using the honorific ‘Dr.’ It turns out that in Germany it’s illegal to use the title Dr unless your PhD is from a European Union educational institution… if your PhD is from the US (or anywhere other than the EU) then you’re not a Dr so far as the German government is concerned. </p>
<p>One can apply to the local German government for a special exemption certificate (once they review your credentials) but without the extra paperwork something as simple as a business card or website that refers to you as ‘Dr’ can result in a visit from the authorities…</p>
<p>Any Drs planning a visit to Germany anytime soon take note! ;-)</p>
<p>Reminds me. I was talking to my MBA students in Austria about their educational titles (in a land were MBA students have their prior degrees next to their name). They put a huge weight on educational titles- not just professionally, but also within the private sphere in terms of influence, status and door-opening. So using your title makes a difference for making things happen, even simple things like getting a great dental appointment. </p>
<p>I was shocked by its importance. I then made a lighthearted comment about how if its so powerful to have a degree, shouldn’t one just be inclined to make up a title now and then. Rather than be met with smiles, I got frowns of disgust. I was making a light comment and it was as if I were suggesting murdering my firstborn or something. They insisted it would be a very serious criminal offense to do so and it was no matter to make light about.</p>
<p>The UK, at least within some circles, also likes putting lots of initials after their name. For example, it’s very common to see John Doe, MA (generally indicating that they have an undergraduate degree from Oxford or Cambridge, which automatically awards MA’s a few years after one gets their bachelors degree). </p>
<p>In the US one generally only lists their initials after the name if it’s a doctorate or professional degree (eg John Doe, PhD or John Doe, MD or John Doe, RN) and even then generally only if listing the name is in a professional context. To list your name as John Doe, BS or BA (which is what the Brits are essentially doing when they put MA after their name) would likely just be seen as a load of B.S. ;-).</p>
<p>I am asking my Dr relative who worked in Germany if that was an issue.
Meanwhile, I used to work in NY at a large Swiss bank. When one of the top
executives came to visit from Switzerland everyone was calling him “Dr Soandso”
which I found interesting, and asked if he was a medical doctor or what field he
had a PhD in. I was told that he had no such degree, and the term “Dokter” or “Herr Dokter”
was simply an honorific title and was how they addressed all the executives at his level.</p>
<p>The German system of titles is incredibly confusing. For example, a medical doctor who completes medical school (as we have in the US) is not allowed to call themselves Dr. and patients are to call them Mr/Mrs/Ms. To be allowed to be address as Dr. medical doctors must also complete a separate thesis. </p>
<p>In the UK, physicians go by the title of Dr. but surgeons (which requires additional training) are then addressed as Mr. So you do extra training and end up losing your title!</p>
<p>Similar confusion often results in the use of the title of ‘professor.’ In the US, even the lowest ranking of faculty members are addressed as ‘professor’ (eg an Assistant Professor) but in most traditional European systems the title of professor is reserved only for the most senior academics at the University with what we would call Assistant/Associate professor having titles like ‘reader’ or ‘lecturer.’</p>
<p>Huh. My husband was a post-doc at a Max Planck Institute. He didn’t have business cards though! His boss was Herr Doktor Professor, but my husband was generally just called by his first name though he had his PhD.</p>
<p>I don’t think the system is as silly as it seems. Here in NJ, we’re having a problem with teachers earning/buying doctorates from online universities that are not accredited, and then claiming the higher pay scale and the honorifiic Dr. When the abuse is discovered, they’re so entrenched we can’t get rid of them. Also, the bump in pay & benefits is substantial.</p>
<p>^^^ Surely the school district simply needs to enforce a sensible policy (usually used by any employer) that all degrees must be from fully accredited universities and that such degrees must be verified before anyone gets a pay raise. If they’re not doing that then perhaps it’s the administrators that need to be gotten rid of (in addition to these teachers).</p>
<p>I’d obviously be concerned about teachers with diploma mill degrees but I’d be equally disturbed by administrators accepting those degrees as legit and issuing pay raises without ever bother checking them out! ;-)</p>
<p>Looks like this thread was resurrected from its previous life ;-)</p>
<p>Anyway, don’t know if we’re supposed to post links here but if you just Google ‘phd dr germany law’ it’s the first hit…</p>
<p>I’m assuming this may be a case of some authority or other wanting to cause a stir as I know several Germans with American degrees who aren’t sitting in the slammer for being addressed by their title ;-)</p>
<p>I remember being told the Germans are very serious about their titles and stack them up like “Herr Doktor Professor.” But apparently their titles do carry more weight because they are a known quantity.</p>
<p>In the US, on the other hand, many people who have doctorates but are not MDs don’t care if you call them Dr. or Mr., especially among nonprofessional circles. Just not a big deal.</p>
<p>I heard somewhere they finally got rid of the law, I’m not sure if that’s true.
I do know that they offer a service to have your credentials approved.</p>