Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:
"Stephen!" wrote in
:

Wolfgang Schwanke wrote in news:fonp57-d46.ln1
@wschwanke.de:

500 ft is the minimum flying altitude.

Please cite the relevant section

Über Städten, anderen dicht besiedelten Gebieten, Industrieanlagen,
Menschenansammlungen, Unglücksorten sowie Katastrophengebieten beträgt
die Sicherheitsmindesthöhe mindestens 300 Meter (1.000 Fuß) über dem
höchsten Hindernis in einem Umkreis von 600 Metern, in allen übrigen
Fällen 150 Meter (500 Fuß) über Grund oder Wasser.

http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/luftvo/__6.html

My German is pretty rusty, so perhaps my understanding of the next
sentence in the regulation (which you didn't quote) is incorrect. It
appears to provide an exception:

"Segelflugzeuge, Hängegleiter und Gleitsegel können die Höhe von 150
Metern (500 Fuß) auch unterschreiten, wenn die Art ihres Betriebs dies
notwendig macht und eine Gefahr für Personen und Sachen nicht zu
befürchten ist."

Given the regulation quoted, when German gliders ridge soar, can they
legally do so at heights under 150 m above ground level?

Translation: Above cities, other densely populated areas, industrial
installations, crowds, accident scenes and disaster areaas, the
minimum safe flying altitude is 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the
tallest obstacle in a perimeter of 600 meters, in all other cases 150
meters (500 feet) above ground or water.

of the CFR that backs this statement.

Of the what?

FYI, I have cruised at or below 500' AGL, leagally, on many
occasions.

Seriously, the newsgroups this is crossposted to are not US specific,
even though they sometimes might appear to be. I was under the
impression the minimum flying altitude was similarly regulated in all
or at least a large number of countries and answered accordingly.

Agreed. While I sometimes forget, I always try to specify the
controlling agency or jurisdiction of whatever law or regulation I'm
quoting. (Same for monetary amounts - I try to use US$ for U.S. dollars
to distinguish from other country dollars, or make other clarifying
remarks.)