Ordnung muss sein


Ordnung muss sein or Ordnung muß sein is a German proverbial expression which translates as "there must be order". The idea of "order" is generally recognized as a key cliche for describing German culture. Franz von Papen, for instance, cited it in 1932 as Frederick the Great's "classic expression". As a slogan used by Paul von Hindenburg, it became "world famous" in 1930, according to The New York Times. A longer version is contained in a mid-19th century collection of proverbs where the title is a Wellerism: Ordnung muß sein, sagte Hans, da brachten sie ihn ins Spinnhaus."
Related German proverbs are Ordnung ist das halbe Leben, literally "order is half of life", humorously extended in the antiproverb und Unordnung die andere Hälfte. Similarly, a proverb says Wer Ordnung hält, ist nur zu faul zum Suchen meaning "he who keeps order is just too lazy to spend his time searching".
Present interpretation of the expression distorts its original meaning. The expression was introduced by Martin Luther as Ordnung muss sein unter den Leuten, Ordnung in the sense of True Law of God as opposed to human rules, for Orden und Regeln sind nichts and Liebe zu Geld... ist nicht Gottes Werk oder Ordnung.
There is an Municipal police in every German municipality and city. Minor or petty offenses are called Ordnungswidrigkeiten contrarity to order" or indeed the American.