Germany

From the switch to digital photos for ID cards to the continued use of fax machines and the holidays you can look forward to in May, here's what we've been talking about at The Local this week.

German prosecutors asked for jail sentences Friday in the trial of four former Volkswagen managers accused of fraud in the "dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal.

Recent proposals put forward in countries such as Sweden, Finland and Germany reflect wider shift, say analystsThe plans, hatched by Sweden’s rightwing government with support of its far-right backers, made waves around the world. Politicians said they were working to strip citizenship from dual nationals who had been convicted of some crimes.It was a […]

Officer suspended after shooting 21-year-old man from behind in Oldenburg in north-west GermanyCivil rights activists in Germany have demanded an independent inquiry into alleged police racism after an officer shot a 21-year-old black man from behind, killing him after an altercation outside a nightclub.The 27-year-old officer was suspended from duty over […]

This German word captures a human feeling so perfectly that it's even become popular in English. But beware, because the word is used quite differently between the two languages.

A petition has been launched calling on the UK government to install MPs to represent the interests of Brits living overseas - echoing systems that already exist in countries including France and Italy.

State integration ministers have called for a more positive discussion around immigration, and better funding for language and integration courses throughout Germany.

Some of the harshest critics of legal cannabis come from Germany's southern state, where three cannabis clubs have just been approved. The state's conservative leadership says it doesn't change their goal of repealing the legalisation.

Germany is pushing ahead with the digitalisation of its administrative services, with key changes to ID documents and residence permits coming in May. Here's what you need to know about the latest efforts to move the process online.

Germany has some of the tighter regulations regarding foreigners' voting rights compared other European countries, but it also has relatively lax requirements for citizenship.

From famous folk festivals like Oktoberfest to its summer beer garden culture, drinking plays a huge role in life in Germany. We'd love to know what surprised you about the country's boozy customs after moving here, and if you think it should change.

Germany's economy is expected to post zero growth in 2025, outgoing Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Thursday, blaming US President Donald Trump's trade policy.

New statistics on addiction revealed that around a fifth of the German population consume alcohol at dangerous levels. Are Germany's rock-bottom prices for beer, wine and spirits to blame?

The European Commission is currently conducting a review of its rules on compensation due to passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled, with fears that it could weaken the generous protections that travellers within the EU enjoy.

Germany has become a world leader in working from home despite companies' reported desire to bring employees back to the office.

Two flights meant to carry Afghans to Germany will not go ahead as planned this week, a government spokesman said Wednesday amid a growing row over the initiative.

The number of reported acts of racism in Germany is on the rise, so what should foreign residents do if they are a victim of racial discrimination or they witness an incident? Lana O'Sullivan explains the actions you can take.

From May this year, only digital photos will be accepted for German ID cards and residence permits as the government completes the latest phase of its digitalisation offensive.

The tree, believed to be city’s oldest, had already been damaged by the region’s increasingly arid climateAn ancient English oak believed to be Berlin’s oldest tree is suffering the effects of a prolonged dry spell in the German capital, local authorities have said, compounding already significant damage to its once lush canopy and branches.“Dicke […]

Call for greater protection for asylum seekers and policies targeting rightwing violence as report sounds ‘alarm bell’Berlin has reported a marked increase in attacks on asylum seekers and refugee shelters, amid a sharp rise in far-right crime and a hardening of German migration policy.Official figures provided at the request of two local Green party […]

Enthusiasts gathering on Good Friday – renamed Carfreitag – face curbs on unauthorised tuning, illegal races and pollutionPolice in Germany have announced a crackdown on illegal racing and the unauthorised modification of cars as members of the so-called tuning scene meet across the country for the start of their annual season.The Good Friday holiday […]

Pre-planned lunch is fine but is rarely about true connection. Surely unstructured time with friends is betterThere’s a black and white image of the photographer and war correspondent Lee Miller and her friend Tanja Ramm. The two are having breakfast in bed at Miller’s studio in Paris, casually reading newspapers. Their faces are framed by untamed hair […]

Moscow and Minsk ambassadors excluded over concerns they could ‘exploit’ event for anti-Ukraine propagandaThe ambassadors of Russia and Belarus will not be invited to the German parliament’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war in Europe, over concerns they could “exploit” the event for anti-Ukraine […]

Authorities say suspect had a ‘lust’ for killing and used drugs to paralyse the respiratory muscles of victimsProsecutors have charged a Berlin palliative care doctor with the murder of 15 patients, alleging he acted out of a “lust” for killing.The 40-year-old suspect is accused of killing 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 […]

Lola Hassid Angel can vividly recall the hunger, disease and death at Nazi camp liberated exactly 80 years agoFor a long time, Lola Hassid Angel did not want to talk about the horrors of her childhood. Her experiences of the second world war had not been light: by the age of eight, the Holocaust survivor had “reached adulthood”, seen things she should […]

The deal signed last week between the centre-right CDU and centre-left SPD paves the way for vital investment in Europe’s biggest economySome years ago, hundreds of German finance ministry staff dressed in black and formed a giant zero to salute their boss, Wolfgang Schäuble, as he left office. It was a tribute to Mr Schäuble’s extreme fiscal […]

Turin and Genoa likely to be among worst hit, while central and eastern Europe could get early taste of summerNorth-west Italy is braced for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across the southern side of the Alps, particularly in Piedmont and Liguria.Turin and Genoa are expected to be among the worst affected, with snowfall also likely on higher ground. The […]

With the country enveloped in gloom and facing mayhem from the US and Russia, it’s hard to imagine a more fraught time to take powerGermany is about to get a new fitness trainer. So declared Markus Söder, one of the political leaders who have just announced a coalition agreement. In one of the quirks of the country’s constitution, the Bavarian […]

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereEarlier today I brought you Donald Trump’s comments overnight on “major” tariffs to be announced “very shortly” on pharmaceuticals (9:20).My colleague Lisa O’Carroll looked at the risks such measures could pose for Europe:Pharmaceutical companies in the EU have warned of a “risk […]

Two of the country’s biggest parties freeze out rightwing AfD and prepare for impact of Trump’s new tariffsGermany’s biggest mainstream parties have sealed an agreement to form a government keeping the far right out of power, as Europe’s top economy struggles to reverse a downturn and gird itself for the potentially catastrophic impact of new US […]