Germany’s government operates 1,400 fax machines. That’s right – Europe’s technology leader maintains more than a thousand fax units. These machines serve just 12 ministries in Baden-Württemberg alone, according to The Munich Eye.
The distribution shows how different departments modernize at different speeds. While the Ministry of Economic Affairs has gone completely fax-free, the Ministry of Justice next door maintains 585 fax machines. The Ministry of the Interior operates 568 units. Meanwhile, the State Chancellery and Ministry of Transport have eliminated fax equipment entirely, proving that complete digital transition remains achievable for certain government functions.
Why Justice and Interior Keep Hundreds of Units
The Ministry of Justice’s 585 fax machines handle court documents and legal filings where government regulations still recognize fax as an acceptable transmission method. The Ministry of the Interior’s 568 units support law enforcement coordination and emergency services – functions where communication cannot simply stop when digital systems go down.
Officials point to two factors: fax provides fallback communication when primary systems fail, and certain legal processes still require transmission methods that regulations officially allow. Removing fax before updating the regulations could create problems. Ministries might not be able to meet their legal requirements – especially agencies that handle court cases.
The Digital Transition Challenge
Each fax machine requires maintenance, supplies, and dedicated phone lines. But agencies that handle court cases or emergency coordination can’t risk losing the ability to communicate when computer systems fail. The choice isn’t “modern” versus “outdated” – it’s about which functions can safely operate without backup transmission methods.
Many organizations now use online fax services to send fax from computer rather than maintaining traditional hardware, gaining digital convenience without completely abandoning fax capability when regulations or backup needs require it.
What This Reveals About Institutional Change
The fact that three ministries have gone completely fax-free while the Ministry of Justice next door maintains 585 units shows this isn’t about resistance to modernization. It’s about the specific risks each department faces. Economic affairs offices can operate fully digital. Agencies coordinating emergency services or managing court filings face different operational constraints.
The 1,400 fax machines don’t represent technological backwardness. They represent calculated decisions by agencies that can’t afford communication failures when handling time-sensitive legal documents or coordinating law enforcement. Even in a nation driving Europe’s digital future, institutional change happens function by function – not with sweeping mandates that ignore operational reality.