Europe
Germany.
Section 323c of the Strafgesetzbuch punishes failing to render assistance in an accident, common danger or emergency when help is necessary and reasonable to expect. Statutory accident insurance covers people who help in such situations, and federal law sets up a national volunteer service and tax rules for donations and volunteer payments.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
YesSection 323c(1) StGB punishes anyone who does not render assistance in an accident, common danger or emergency although it is necessary and can reasonably be expected under the circumstances, in particular if possible without substantial danger to that person and without breaching other important duties. The penalty is imprisonment of up to one year or a fine. Section 323c(2) punishes obstructing a person who is helping or wants to help.
Are people who help protected?
LimitedSection 2(1) no. 13 a) of Book VII of the Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB VII) makes people who render assistance in accidents, common danger or emergencies, or rescue another from significant present danger to health, insured by law under statutory accident insurance. In the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, Section 680 limits the liability of a person acting to avert an urgent danger to the other party to intent and gross negligence, and Section 683 lets such a helper claim reimbursement of expenses under the stated conditions. This guide did not review how courts apply these provisions.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Germany has a dense network of registered associations (Vereine), and large charities are run by welfare federations, some of them church-based. Look for a recognized seal before giving to a large appeal.
Check a charity before you give
The German Central Institute for Social Issues, which awards a donation seal and reviews charities.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Be wary of street and doorstep collectors without ID and of emails asking for quick transfers, and ask a charity to send its details by mail first. A DZI seal or Transparente Zivilgesellschaft listing is a helpful sign, though many good small groups have neither.
- TelefonSeelsorge is run with church support, but it serves everyone.
This list covers a few national starting points, not every local group, and sites can change. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Section 323c(2) also makes it a crime to obstruct someone who is helping or wants to help, and statutory accident insurance explicitly names helpers in emergencies as insured persons.
What this does not mean
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. The English StGB text is a courtesy translation by Prof. Bohlander published for information only; the German text is the authoritative one, and this guide's renderings of the other German statutes are this guide's own. Tax figures change over time and This guide did not verify how the provisions work in practice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.