dienstverhältnis
Dienstverhältnis is a legal term used in German-speaking civil service law to describe the legal relationship between a public employer (such as the state or a public authority) and a person who performs official duties. It denotes a service relationship in which the employee undertakes to perform personal services under the direction of the employer and in return receives remuneration. The concept is central to the functioning of public administration and is used especially for civil servants (Beamte) and other public employees under public-law duties. In many jurisdictions the term exists alongside or as a subset of broader employment concepts; private-sector workers employed by public authorities may be governed by ordinary employment contracts (Arbeitsverhältnis), while those with a civil-service status operate under a Dienstverhältnis with special rules.
Key elements typically include appointment or commissioning by the public employer, personal service and compliance with
In Germany and Austria, the term remains part of the public service vocabulary, reflecting the special status