Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer has banned the use of gender-inclusive language in official communications from his department.

"At the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media in the Chancellery, the rules of the German language apply," Weimer explained to Bild.

"Instead of using forms with asterisks or internal capitalization, we greet recipients with the salutation 'Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren' ('Dear Madam, dear Sir')."

The policy affects the 470 employees under Weimer's authority in Berlin and Bonn. "Forced gendering in language does not reflect the way the vast majority in our country speak," emphasised Weimer, who is responsible for federal cultural and media policy. In his view, gender-inclusive language only deepens "the division in our society."

Privately, everyone is free to express themselves however they wish, Weimer said. But in the official communications of the Minister of State for Culture, the standard rules apply. This aligns with the guidelines of the Council for German Orthography.