Germany news: Doctors offer Oktoberfest flu jabs

Skip next section Germany elections: Where things stand right now

September 20, 2026

Germany elections: Where things stand right now

We've moved focus to our election special blog covering local races in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Exit polls put the socialist Left Party in first place in Berlin and the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, in first place in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Both results mark a defeat for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU party. Merz, who is deeply unpopular, faces a tough road in the weeks to come.

Follow along in our live blog here for the latest updates.

German Chancellor Merz vows to push ahead with reforms

https://p.dw.com/p/5Mw2p

Skip next section Part of children's daycare collapses after explosion in Wolfsburg

September 20, 2026

Part of children's daycare collapses after explosion in Wolfsburg

An explosion at a child daycare center has caused part of a building to collapse in the northern German city in Wolfsburg.

The Evangelical Press Service (epd) cited a policewoman as saying that there there were no injuries as there were neither children or staff present.

Residents reported hearing a loud bang around 9 a.m. and called the fire department.

An investigation into the cause of explosion has been launched involving the fire department and the criminal investigation division.

Police do not suspect foul play at this stage.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MvOU

Skip next section IN DEPTH: Women's football in Germany booming, but still much to do

September 20, 2026

IN DEPTH: Women's football in Germany booming, but still much to do

Thomas Klein

According to the German Football Association (DFB), investment in women's football by professional clubs has risen by 135% over the past six years. In addition, the number of girls in Germany who play the game has increased by about 30% since 2022.

Women's football is growing rapidly, particularly in Germany. Nevertheless, equal pay and investment remain major talking points.

Learn more about the growth of women's football in Germany in this report.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MvFz

Skip next section New York's 5th Avenue comes alive for German-American Steuben parade

September 20, 2026

New York's 5th Avenue comes alive for German-American Steuben parade

The annual German-American Steuben parade took place on Saturday in New York's 5th Avenue.

Dirndls, lederhosen and uniforms along with all manner of hats were on display as participants made their way to the sound of drums and music.

German immigrants make up one of the largest ancestral groups living in the United States.

The Parade was founded in 1957 and named after Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian-born General who served with General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.

German groups wearing traditional attire, floats, marching bands and dancers, come together from across the US, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Canada for the parade.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Mv5f

Skip next section Burglar bags baked goods and ice cream in cafe raid

September 20, 2026

Burglar bags baked goods and ice cream in cafe raid

A burglar with an apparent penchant for sweet treats broke into a cafe and opted for cake and ice cream instead of cash, North Rhine-Westphalia police said.

According to investigators, the burglary took place at 2:30 am (0030 GMT) on Saturday in the town of Bad Salzuflen.

"We still do not know whether he deliberately had his sights set on the sweet loot or whether he was seized by a bit of hunger during the crime," a police spokesman said.

Witnesses have been urged to come forward with information they might have that could result in the arrest of the sweet thief.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Muw3

Skip next section German car makers losing ground – study

September 20, 2026

German car makers losing ground – study

Germany's automobile giants are continuing to lose ground internationally, according to a new study published on Sunday.

Data compiled by multinational services network EY, previously known as Ernst & Young, found that, while German car manufacturers are still turning over more than their international rivals and still posting a combined profit, the gap is narrowing.

According to the study, German giants BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen turned over a combined €284 billion in the first half of 2026 – around €1.5 billion more than the second-placed Japanese car industry.

But that figure is down 2.9% on last year and 7% lower than the record-high set in 2023.

Profits are also down, with the €13 billion made by the three German market leaders representing the second-lowest half-year profit since 2017.

US, Japanese, Chinese and South Korean manufacturers, on the other hand, all posted record turnovers for the period.

Volkswagen crisis: Emden plant closure impacts whole region

https://p.dw.com/p/5MuTI

Skip next section O'piekst is!: German doctors offer Oktoberfest flu jabs

September 20, 2026

O'piekst is!: German doctors offer Oktoberfest flu jabs

Munich's annual Oktoberfest officially got underway on Saturday when the first beer keg was opened with the traditional cry of O'zapft is! ("It has been tapped!").

But another slogan is also being promoted in Bavaria this year: O'piekst is! ("It has been pricked!") — as doctors offer vaccine jabs against flu and Covid-19.

"With so many people coming together in such tight spaces in the beer tents, the risk of infection at Oktoberfest is higher," explained Christoph Spinner, head of infectiology at Munich's Rechts der Isar hospital.

Oktoberfest coincides with the start of the annual flu season, and Spinner warned that less than a third of people who are recommended a flu jab have actually had one.

Beatrix Zurek, a health expert from the city-led initiative München impft! ("Munich vaccinates!") said: "It's our job to go where people are. And that means: Oktoberfest."

https://p.dw.com/p/5MuH3

Skip next section Welcome back

September 20, 2026

Welcome back

Guten Morgen! And welcome back to our coverage of Germany on Sunday, 20 September.

Voters in two more German states head to the polls today as elections take place in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and in the capital, the city-state of Berlin.

We will have all you need to know about those elections in a separate blog which we will be launching when polls open at 8 a.m. local time, so keep an eye out for that.

And for all your non-election Germany news – stay right here!

https://p.dw.com/p/5MuFP

Skip next section This blog is now paused

September 20, 2026

This blog is now paused

We are pausing our coverage on Saturday, 19 September and will be back on Sunday, 20 September with more headlines from Germany.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Mu5S

Skip next section Anti-abortion protests held in Cologne, Berlin

September 19, 2026

Anti-abortion protests held in Cologne, Berlin

Protests against abortion and assisted suicide took to the streets of the German capital Berlin as well as the western city of Cologne on Saturday, in protest dubbed "March for Life."

Police said some 2,200 took part in Berlin, whereas no figures on the Cologne protests were immediately available. Catholic bishops were among those attending.

Meanwhile in both cities, pro-choice protests were also held.

Abortion in Germany is banned but women are allowed to carry out the measure if the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy have not yet concluded. They are however obligated to hold consultations first, and the abortion can only be held at least three days after such consultations.

Exceptions are naturally if the pregnancy poses a risk to the woman's health.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MtyH

Skip next section WATCH: Holocaust survivor on 'very dangerous' AfD Saxony-Anhalt win

September 19, 2026

WATCH: Holocaust survivor on 'very dangerous' AfD Saxony-Anhalt win

Tina Gerhäusser

Charlotte Knobloch, a Holocaust survivor and one of Germany’s most prominent Jewish community leaders, has voiced her alarm at the Alternative for Germany's (AfD) landslide victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election.

Speaking to DW, she warned that some Jews are once again considering leaving Germany, saying years of efforts to rebuild trust after the Holocaust are being undermined. Knobloch described the rise of the far-right party as a serious threat, urged mainstream politicians to confront extremism more forcefully and called for greater engagement with young people.

Her comments come amid renewed concerns about antisemitism, political polarization, and reported death threats against her.

Holocaust survivor on 'very dangerous' AfD Saxony-Anhalt win

https://p.dw.com/p/5MtuN

Skip next section Far-right AfD holds final rally before Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania election

September 19, 2026

Far-right AfD holds final rally before Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania election

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party held on Saturday its final rally in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, ahead of the Sunday vote in the eastern state.

Ulrich Siegmund, the party's winner in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago, addressed a rally of some 1,000 AfD supporters in Schwerin, according to police estimates.

He said that what happened in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD won but without an absolute majority, was also possible in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The latest ZDF Politbarometer poll puts the AfD in the eastern state one percentage point behind the Social Democrats (SPD); at 36% and 37% respectively. Next is the Left Party (Die Linke) at 9%, then the CDU at 6% and the Greens at 5%.

The AfD rally was also attended by the party's candidate in the state, Leif-Erik Holm, who echoed previous remarks that the election "should serve as a signal that this government must finally go." Several other AfD leaders have repeated the same calls since the results of the Saxony-Anhalt state vote.

The far-right party's final rally of the campaign also saw some 350 counter-demonstrators, according to police. No incidents were reported.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Mtw9

Skip next section Merz schedules CDU meeting with all party leaders to discuss election results

September 19, 2026

Merz schedules CDU meeting with all party leaders to discuss election results

In an unusual measure, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will convene the Christian Democratic Union leadership on Sunday to discuss the results of the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.

Unlike in previous state elections, Merz has invited the entire party executive committee to a formal meeting at 5:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) at the CDU headquarters in Berlin. The committee includes some 25 members, either electees or representatives by virtue of their offices.

Due to attend are the eight influential CDU premiers who backed him ahead of the election.

Compounding pressure has befallen the conservative chancellor since the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month, which saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) narrowly missing out on an absolute majority, while Merz's CDU secured half their previous result.

Polls for the upcoming votes are also grim, with the CDU threatened with the prospect of falling below the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.

In the capital Berlin, where CDU is currently in power, polls suggest the conservative party is in a neck-and-neck race with the socialist Left Party.

German Chancellor Merz reels as far-right AfD makes gains

https://p.dw.com/p/5MtuM

Skip next section Germany's Carsten Breuer to become NATO's Military Committee chairman

September 19, 2026

Germany's Carsten Breuer to become NATO's Military Committee chairman

Germany's highest ranking military officer, General Carsten Breuer, will be the next chairman of NATO's Military Committee, after being voted into the role on Saturday.

"The support of the chiefs of defense of our NATO allies means a great deal to me. The alliance faces major challenges - for our security and peace in Europe and beyond," Breuer, who is also Germany's chief of defense, told German news agency DPA.

The position is considered among NATO's most influential ones.

Breuer succeeds Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone and will take over as of July 2027.

Breuer was competing for the position against Canada's Chief of Defense General Jennie Carignan. Had she been elected, she would have become the first woman to head the committee.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MtqK

Skip next section Cologne opera house reopens after 14-year redo

September 19, 2026

Cologne opera house reopens after 14-year redo

Cologne's cultural complex, which includes the city's main opera house, theater and children's opera, has finally reopened after renovation works that extended for some 14 years.

"With the reopening of our theaters, we are giving the city back a central place of meeting, inspiration and artistic freedom that belongs to all people of Cologne," Mayor Torsten Burmester said.

The western German state's opera house dates back to 1957, with the theater coming shortly after in 1962.

Since 2012, renovations on the pair commenced with an original budget of €250 million (roughly $287 million) that has somehow multiplied nearly three fold as the years rolled on.

The final price tag on the refurbishments stood at around €800 million.

In the 14 years it took to get the job done, Cologne's opera and theater houses had to relocate to other venues.

Celebrations of the reopening include music, dance, as well as other hands-on activities. On Sunday evening, the opening ceremony will conclude with a concert at the opera house.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MtlB

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