<P> The 1938 Regulations Against Jews' Possession of Weapons, which came into force the day after Kristallnacht, effectively deprived all Jews living under the Third Reich within the occupied Sudetenland and Austria of the right to possess any form of weapons, including truncheons, knives, firearms and ammunition . Exceptions were made for Jews and Poles who were foreign nationals under § 3 of the act . Before that, some police forces used the pre-existing "trustworthiness" clause to disarm Jews on the basis that "the Jewish population' cannot be regarded as trustworthy"'. </P> <P> After 1945, even German police officers were initially not allowed to carry firearms . Private ownership of firearms was not allowed until 1956 . The legal status returned essentially to that of the Law on Firearms and Ammunition of 1928 . The law was thoroughly revised in 1972, when the new restrictive Federal Weapons Act (Bundeswaffengesetz) became effective, partly as a reaction to the terror of the Red Army Faction . It was developed in the Federal Weapons Act of 2002 and by amendments in 2008 and 2009 . These laws were the result of a chain of school shootings in Erfurt, Emsdetten and Winnenden . They led to a public debate, in which blame was attributed to various elements of youth culture and society, including violent computer games, television programs, rock music and private gun ownership . </P> <P> The Weapons Act of 2002 increased the age requirements for licensed hunters and competition shooters . It also introduced the requirement of a psychological evaluation for persons under the age of 25 to fulfil the requirement of personal adequacy for large - bore firearms . </P> <P> The first amendment became effective on April 1, 2008 . The intention of that amendment was to ban certain kinds of weapons like airsoft - guns, tasers, imitation firearms (Anscheinswaffen) and knives with blades longer than 12 cm from public places . They may still be carried in sealed wrappings and for professional or ceremonial purposes . Their use on private premises and in non-public places like gun clubs is not restricted . </P>

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