Germany

German modal particles are one of the trickiest linguistic components for learners of the language to master. Learn the German of everyday speech, which most classes don't teach.

New leader of centre-right CDU will run for chancellor in September, or have a big say in who doesAngela Merkel’s continuity candidate, the centrist conservative Armin Laschet, has beaten one of her longest-standing rivals in the contest to lead Germany’s Christian Democratic Union.In a digitally-held party congress, Laschet beat the conservative […]

Whether it's in the supermarket, gym or office, microaggressions against marginalised people are happening every day in Germany, writes Barbara Woolsey. Will this change anytime soon?

These charts show how the Covid-19 second wave continues to hit countries around Europe as governments try slightly different approaches to deal with the pandemic. Here's a round up of the latest Covid- 19 rates and restrictions around Europe.

Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, is the new CDU leader and thereby frontrunner to be the party's candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor at September's general election.

Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, was elected as the new CDU leader on Saturday. But what more do we know about the moderate and Merkel loyalist?

The CDU leadership contest has officially begun as Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, was elected as the new CDU leader on Saturday. It marks the start of a string of 2021 elections in Germany, culminating in September’s federal vote — the first Angela Merkel won’t contest as Chancellor since 2005. But are people in Germany, […]

Conductor laments impact on UK musicians’ careers and describes application as ‘absolute necessity’The conductor Simon Rattle, who announced this week that he was cutting short his tenure at Britain’s leading orchestra to return to Germany, has applied for German citizenship after Brexit.The Liverpool-born musician lamented the barriers thrown up by […]

As of January 18th, it will be mandatory to wear a highly-protective FFP2 face mask in Bavaria. Here's what you need to know, from where to get them to where the measure applies.

Some words in the German language are so culturally specific, they just don’t exist in English.

Authorities in Lower Saxony accused of overzealous interpretation of data privacy laws Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGerman toddlers called Fritz or Adele could be invited for a Covid-19 vaccination while octogenarian Peters and Brigittes will not, as an overzealous interpretation of data privacy laws in one state has forced […]

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made an appeal on Friday, calling for more employers to let people work from home as the country battles high Covid-19 infection rates.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders are to meet earlier than planned to discuss whether tougher Covid measures are needed in Germany due to worries over new virus variants. Here's what we know so far.

As the number of Covid-19 deaths increase in Germany, crematoriums are having to find new ways to cope. And workers there have a message for coronavirus deniers.

German logistics company DB Schenker is temporarily suspending deliveries from the European Union to Britain because of bureaucratic hurdles brought on by Brexit.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday called for tougher restrictions to contain the country's worsening coronavirus outbreak and pushed for crisis talks with regional leaders, according to party sources.

Manufacturing and ‘decisive’ fiscal action behind smallest anticipated fall in EuropeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGermany’s economy shrank by 5% last year, according to official figures, among the smallest declines anticipated in Europe despite the coronavirus pandemic causing the deepest recession since the 2008 […]

The German memorial at former Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald Thursday demanded an end to visitors playing winter sports at the site, after some were even spotted sledging at its mass graves.

Opposition politician has been in Germany since August following suspected poisoning by FSB Russia’s prison service says it has orders to detain Alexei Navalny, a statement made days before the opposition politician is due to return to Russia after recuperating abroad from a suspected FSB poisoning.Navalny could face prison time when he gets off the plane […]

Wintry weather is continuing to cause major problems in parts of Germany, affecting the road and rail network.

About 60 cases recorded of workers being hurt recorded at airport, which has been plagued with problemsBaggage handlers at Berlin’s new airport have reported receiving electric shocks from scanners in yet another problem to befall the troubled project, which is widely seen as an engineering catastrophe. About 60 incidents of electric shocks have been […]

Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency on Thursday called for stronger measures to bring down coronavirus infections, noting many people not doing enough to reduce social contacts.

Demand for bicycles has soared in Europe during the coronavirus pandemic, but conversely the global supply is at record low levels, with consumers having to wait months or over a year for their bike of choice.

Germany's economy suffered its biggest contraction last year since the 2009 financial crash, as it was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, official data showed Thursday.

An urgent plea has been issued to people in Germany to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel amid concerns over virus variants.

Germany now has a higher death rate from the coronavirus than the US, reported Berlin’s Tagesspiegel on Thursday. But is the headline statement really accurate? We took a closer look.

EU health commissioner says bloc will assist with genomic sequencing to curb mutationCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe EU has warned that the highly contagious coronavirus variant first found in Britain is now having “a significant impact” in other European countries, and said its spread “must be stopped at all […]

On 18 January 1871, Friedrich Wilhelm I of Hohenzollern was crowned as the first emperor of a united Germany in Versailles. See how the Guardian reported eventsIn 1871, after waging three wars in seven years, Prussia under the leadership of Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck, succeeded in unifying the loosely confederated states of northern and southern […]

Over 30 drop-in law clinics have sprung up across Germany to help refugees apply for asylumAfter fleeing war, human rights violations, or persecution, refugees and asylum seekers in Germany must overcome another hurdle; to stay in the country they have to submit an asylum application. The lengthy process throws up a number of challenges, such as dealing […]

A new role for the conductor in Germany means a planned ‘world-class concert hall’ has lost its championIn 2002, the streets of Berlin were hung with banners reading, “Welcome, Sir Simon!” It was the year Simon Rattle took up his job as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic. This was big news in the UK, too: he was our lad, a proper scouser. As […]