Germany’s civil domestic intelligence services, BfV and the LfVs, literally translated the offices for the protection of the constitution, are an indispensable element of our security architecture and make an important contribution to pre-serving our free democratic basic order. They have the role of an early warning system that is on alert already in a stage preceding the actual commission of a punishable offence. The threats jeopardising the security and freedom of our so-ciety are manifold, and as manifold is the spectrum of our monitoring activities. It ranges from political extremism and terrorism to counter-intelligence and cyber defence to economic and scientific security.

• The aim and purpose of intelligence activity
• The German civil domestic intelligence services
• The structure of the German domestic intelligence community and the services’ integration into Germany’s security architecture
• Responsibilities, powers and modus operandi of the German domestic intelligence services
• Fields of work of the German domestic intelligence services
• Supervision and oversight
• The citizens’ contribution and contact information
• Publishing information