Homelessness in Germany is a significant social issue, one that is estimated to affect over 200,000 people. However, there are limits to the studies on the topic; reportedly, there are no statistics of homeless youth in Germany, and estimates range from 1,500 to 50,000.
Researchers maintain that the legal definition of homelessness in Germany is quite narrow. Alternatively, researchers maintain there is no nationally accepted definition.
Germany has significantly lower rates of homelessness than England and the United States. It is believed that the difference in rates stem from the differences in social systems.
In Nazi Germany
Within the scope of the "operation against work-shyness", the Nazi government conducted raids on homeless people and in 1938, 11,000 so-called "work-shy" individuals were arrested by the Third Reich authorities and transferred to concentration camps for labor purposes.