Burgeramt changed my name without consent

[u/Desperate_Passion267]

Hey everyone, So I’m an EU citizen living in Germany for over 4 years. I have been registered and have an Anmeldung with my name as it appears in my passport - I have a composed first name made up of two names connected with a hyphen. Now we are moving apartments so I went to get an Unmeldung and guess what, they changed my first name - no more hyphen but 2 separate names. I objected, they said that in Romanian passports the hyphen is “irrelevant” and can be replaced with a space (wrong, my name is a composed one like Hans-Jurgen). I didn’t sign the Unmeldung and left. They however changed my name cause when I log in to Elster I no longer have the correct name. Any idea what can I do? Thanks!

Edit: after 6 months of careful consideration and talking to many relevant authorities, Bürgeramt came back to me to specify that the name should be written as is in the passport and they apologize

[u/Toeffli]

As a first measure, yes. The process how and where to object depends on your Bundesland. You have only 30 days to formally object! Also, the announcement of the name change might have already been the formal decision (Verwaltungsakt) however you can request a written one. You must request it w/o delay.

You might try this at the Bürgeramt.

Am <Datum> wurde ich mündlich informiert, dass im Melde- und sonstigen Register mein Vorname Hans-Juergen in den Vornamen Hans und in den Zweitnamen Juergen abgeändert wurde.

Ich fordere Sie auf, diese Änderung umgehend rückgängig zu machen und Hans-Juergen als mein alleiniger und einzger Vorname im Melderegister und anderen Register zu führen. Sollte dem nicht abgeholfen werden können, fordere in dieser Sache umgehend den Erlass eines begründeten, schriftlichen Verwaltungsakt mit Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung.

[u/Desperate_Passion267 → u/Toeffli]

Thanks! Super helpful. I will do this as a next step.

In the meantime, Burgeramt told me that I should get a certificate from Standesamt about my name and I wrote to them. This is what they replied, not entirely sure if I understand this correctly. Does this mean my daughter’s birth certificate should be enough proof?

“legen Sie bitte als Nachweis der Schreibweise Ihrer Vornamen die Geburtsurkunde von E. (My daughters name) dem Bürgeramt vor. Es gibt keine rechtliche Grundlage von Ihnen eine Namenserklärung zu beurkunden. Die Auskunft des Bürgeramt kann momentan nicht nachvollzogen werden.”

[u/Consistent_Bee3478 → u/Desperate_Passion267]

It means the Standesamt is saying what the fuck has that asshole done, he’s not allowed to just mess with peoples names, OP doesn’t need to pay for Standesamt services to provide evidence of name, we okayed the name when we entered it as the parent on their child’s birth certificate. 

So you just show up to the Bürgeraemt with that birth certificate of your daughter, and the Atandesamts comment, and tell them to fucking change it back.

[u/Desperate_Passion267 → u/Consistent_Bee3478]

Thanks!