There were two types of soldiers serving in the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

(Federal Defence Forces): regular units and

conscripts Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day und ...

. Consequently, there were also two types of

oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to g ...

s. Conscripts recited a pledge, since their service was compulsory and not unconditionally voluntary. Regular soldiers recited an oath in its true sense.

Conscripted personnel

Conscript's pledge: :''"Ich gelobe, der Bundesrepublik Deutschland treu zu dienen, und das Recht und die Freiheit des deutschen Volkes tapfer zu verteidigen."'' Translation: :''"I pledge to loyally serve the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

and to courageously defend the right and the liberty of the German people."''{{cite web , title=Commemorating German resistance fighters , url=https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/news/commemorating-german-resistance-fighters-402858 , website=Bundesregierung: The Federal Government , accessdate=23 October 2020 Conscripts are allowed to decline taking the pledge, but this forfeits any chance of promotion during service. This refusal does not constitute conscientious objection to military service, since German conscripts are also allowed to render alternative social service in its place.

Professional soldiers and Soldiers for a Time

Oath for other enlisted personnel,

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

s and

officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fr ...

serving for at least two years (Soldiers For a Time) or for lifetime (professional soldiers): :''"Ich schwöre, der Bundesrepublik Deutschland treu zu dienen, und das Recht und die Freiheit des deutschen Volkes tapfer zu verteidigen, so wahr mir Gott helfe."'' Translation: :''"I swear to loyally serve the Federal Republic of Germany and to courageously defend the right and the liberty of the German people, so help me God."'' The religious adjunct used with the oath was optional, the replacing of "ich gelobe" (I pledge) with "ich schwöre" (I swear) was not.

References

Bundeswehr German military law State ritual and ceremonies Military oaths Articles containing video clips