A study on access to higher education in Germany was written as part of a larger study on access and admission in that country and the United States. The complex dimensions of the access situation in Germany are set forth, along with the many factors that have produced crisis: demographic trends, reforms in secondary education, legal and constitutional considerations, and employment expectations of graduates. The history and administration of admission to higher education in Germany are described, and changes in current laws governing access and admission are examined. (MSE)