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GERMAN TRADITIONS

EXPLAINED: Where fireworks are allowed in Germany this New Year’s Eve

The Covid pandemic forced Germany to put aside one of its most beloved New Year's traditions: setting off an arsenal of fireworks. This year they're set to return to many regions - though restrictions are still in place. Here's what you need to know.

Fireworks on New Year's Eve in Frankfurt am Main
Fireworks in Frankfurt am Main on January 1st, 2020 - before the Covid pandemic had arrived in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Andreas Arnold

What’s going on?

For the last two years, Germany was unusually quiet on New Year’s Eve. To protect hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a nationwide ban on purchasing and setting off fireworks at the turn of the year.

In most years before that, the German passion for pyrotechnics on Silvester (New Year’s Eve) had led to a spike in accidents and injuries on the 31st. Combined with drink-related accidents, it meant that staff in A&E wards and other emergency services often faced their busiest night of the year. 

Though not everyone stuck to the ban in 2020/21 and 2021/22, many hoped that banning fireworks would take pressure off health services that were already overwhelmed by the pandemic. 

READ ALSO: Why many German cities become a fireworks hell on NYE

This year, as everything returns to normal, there has been fierce debate in the run-up to Silvester on whether to return to the pre-Covid status quo. Though all but a few pandemic restrictions have gone, emergency services have been calling on the government to tighten up the usual permissive firework laws.

As a compromise, the federal government has decided to leave it up to the states this year. So while there’s no longer a nationwide ban, people will have to navigate certain rules and restrictions if they want to set off a firecracker or two. 

Can people still buy fireworks in the shops?

Yes. Supermarkets and discounters are allowed to sell fireworks once again, but only from December 29th until the 31st. The safest bets for picking up your stash are Lidl, Aldi, Penny and Kaufland, according to German media. For anyone worried about shops running out, Lidl is permitting customers to reserve fireworks via the Lidl Plus app. 

READ ALSO: 10 ways to celebrate this New Year’s Eve like a German

The Hessischen/Niedersächsischen Allgemeine also reports that Rewe and Edeka will be selling fireworks, but not in all stores. Each shop will be able to decide for themselves. Meanwhile, major hardware stores like OBI and Bauhaus have confirmed they won’t have any pyrotechnics in stock. 

Where are fireworks forbidden this year? 

Although there isn’t a Germany-wide ban on firecrackers this year, certain areas will still be off-limits for fireworks on December 31st. The general rule is that pyrotechnics must not be set off in the immediate vicinity of churches, hospitals, children’s homes, old people’s homes and buildings that are particularly sensitive to fire.

Firework-free zone in Berlin Alexanderplatz

A prohibited zone at Berlin Alexanderplatz. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Paul Zinken

Some cities also want to set up firecracker-free zones. Here’s an overview of the plans across the states.

Bavaria

In several major Bavarian cities, fireworks are to be banned again this year on New Year’s Eve – at least in the central areas. 

In Munich, for example, fireworks will not be allowed in the city centre (within the Mittlere Ring), while in Nuremberg, prohibited zones in the area around the Hauptmarkt and Kaiserburg castles will remain in place “for the safety of the crowds there and of buildings protected by law”.

In Regensburg, a ban on firecrackers is to apply in the entire old town on New Year’s Eve. In Augsburg, too, firecrackers are not allowed in the immediate vicinity of so-called protected objects like hospitals and churches. There has been a ban on setting off fireworks in crowded public spaces in Augsburg on New Year’s Eve since 2017.

Baden-Württemberg

Following the ban on fireworks over the last two years, Baden-Württemberg’s state government has decided not to impose restrictions on New Year’s Eve, though some cities have put their own rules in place. 

Fireworks in Baden-Württemberg

Fireworks go off at the the International Firework Festival “Flammenden Sterne” in Ostfildern, Baden-Württemberg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Schmidt

This includes a ban on fireworks in Tübingen’s Old Town and a similar ban in Stuttgart. On the flip side, people will be able to set off explosives to their heart’s content in Ulm, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe and Freiburg – though not near protected spaces like nursing homes. 

Berlin

Most neighbourhoods in Berlin are likely to resemble a war zone this New Year’s Eve – though three key firework-free zones will remain in place:

  • Alexanderplatz, the areas around Berolinahaus, Alexanderhaus, Alexanderplatz 3, 7 and 9 and the construction area on the square are listed as prohibited zones.
  • In Schöneberg’s Steinmetzkiez, firecrackers are not allowed on parts of Winterfeldtstraße, Potsdamer Straße, Steinmetzstraße, Alvenslebenstraße and Pallasstraße.
  • In Moabit, firecrackers are banned from Rathenower Strasse to Seydlitzstrasse, including the adjacent green area, as well as sections of Otto-Dix-Strasse, Alt-Moabit Strasse next to the prison, and sections of Paulstrasse, Spenerstrasse and Calvinstrasse near the prison.

To enforce the ban, police will cordon off these areas and check people’s bags as they enter. It will also be forbidden to set off fireworks at the big public celebration on Pariser Platz near Brandenburg Gate. 

READ ALSO: Berlin New Year’s Eve air quality ‘worst in Germany’

Brandenburg 

Towns and cities in Brandenburg have said they aren’t planning to put any strict bans on fireworks in place this year. Officials in Potsdam, Oranienburg and Frankfurt (Oder) all confirmed in recent days that people will once again be allowed to set off their firecrackers in the streets. 

Bremen

In Bremen, the ban on firecrackers near the Weserpromenade – which came into force in 2020/2021 – will remain in place this year. In addition, fireworks are banned near historic monuments such as the market square or the Schnoor district.

Hamburg 

Fireworks are set to return to the streets of Hamburg this year, but they won’t be permitted everywhere.

A ban will be in place around the Binnenalster lake and at the Rathausmarkt. Specifically, Jungfernstieg, Neuer Jungfernstieg, Lombardsbrücke, Ballindamm, and Reesendamm will all be off-limits for potential fire-starters – as well as the central square itself.

However, firecrackers and sparklers will still be allowed, according to authorities. 

fireworks in Hamburg on new year's eve

Fireworks go off in the streets of Hamburg on New Year’s Eve 2021/22. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jonas Walzberg

Hesse

Frankfurt am Main will also be lit up with fireworks once again on the 31st, but a special firework-free zone will be apply to the Eiserner Steg between 9pm and 3am on New Year’s Eve. 

That means that revellers on the Iron Bridge can still enjoy small pyrotechnics like sparklers and firecrackers, but anything bigger is strictly forbidden. 

There will also be a weapons ban on public transport both in Frankfurt and the wider area, which police say should help avoid alcohol-related brawls escalating into even more dangerous situations. 

READ ALSO: IN PICS: Berlin brings in 2020 with fireworks and winter bathing

Lower Saxony 

Hanover will once again be putting some firework-free zones in place in the city centre this year. The prohibited zone extends from Opernplatz to Kröpcke, Karmarschstraße to Platz der Weltausstellung, Georgstraße to Steintor and also includes Bahnhofstraße, Ernst August Platz and the area of Raschplatz. 

In Braunschweig, Oldenburg, Celle and Göttingen, no further bans are planned outside of the basic ban on setting off fireworks near protected areas like churches, hospitals, care homes and fire-sensitive buildings.

Police central Hanover New Year's Eve fireworks

Police patrol central Hanover to ensure that people don’t let off fireworks on NYE. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Moritz Frankenberg

Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania

In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg, the authorities have also rejected a state-wide ban. 

Rostock, Schwerin, Greifswald, Stralsund, Wismar and Neubrandenburg have so far only planned to enforce restrictions in the usual protected areas such as churches, hospitals and nursing homes. 

North-Rhine Westphalia

Several cities in Germany’s most populous state will be putting special firework-free zones in place this year, though pyrotechnics will be generally permitted.

In Cologne, the prohibited zone will be modelled on previous years and include a fireworks-free zone around the Dom from 6pm until 5am. Between 10pm and 2am, the fireworks-free zone will be extended to other parts of the city center: on Komödienstrasse/Marzellenstrasse, Andreaskloster, Burgmauer and the corner of Trankgasse/Kardinal-Höffner-Platz, fireworks, firecrackers, rockets and sparklers will also be prohibited.

Fireworks in Baden-Württemberg

Fireworks go off at the the international firework festival “Flammenden Sterne” in Ostfildern, Baden-Württemberg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Schmidt

Meanwhile in Düsseldorf, fireworks are to be banned in the Old Town from 8pm on New Year’s Eve until 6am on New Year’s Day. Authorities say they’re hoping to prevent avoidable injuries. 

The smaller cities of Essen, Duisburg and Bochum will only restrict fireworks in general protected areas. However, Dortmund plans to implement a prohibited zone around Reinoldikirche and the Hauptbahnhof. 

Saxony

Saxony is taking a laissez-faire stance towards fireworks again this year, as major cities like Dresden and Leipzig say they aren’t planning any specific restrictions. 

Saxony-Anhalt 

In Saxony-Anhalt, firecrackers can be set off largely without restrictions this New Year’s Eve. As things stand at present, the state’s largest cities – including Magdeburg, Halle and Dessau – do not intend to set up any prohibited zones. 

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GERMAN TRADITIONS

From dancing bans to forbidden films: How strict are Germans over Easter?

Less than half of Germans are Christian, but dancing bans still apply on Good Friday - varying in severity between the country's 16 states. What are the rules, and how strictly are they followed?

From dancing bans to forbidden films: How strict are Germans over Easter?

Karfreitag (Easter Friday) is a controversial holiday in Germany. For many it is one of the most important days of the year, commemorating the suffering and death of Jesus.

For others, it is a day of outdated bans – after all, less than half of Germany’s population is Christian. And among those who are, it’s questionable just how religious they are.

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Karfreitag

In Germany, Sundays and public holidays are protected by law as “days of rest and spiritual elevation”. Hence, most shops remain closed.

But then there are also “silent holidays” such as Good Friday, for which there are usually strict regulations. What exactly applies on Easter Friday is defined by the laws of the different states.

READ ALSO: What’s open in Germany over Easter weekend?

Patchwork of rules

In Bavaria, for example, sporting events and “musical performances of any kind in rooms with bars” are prohibited, the state’s Ministry of the Interior told DPA.

Public entertainment events are only permitted “if the serious character appropriate to [the holy day] is maintained”. Holiday peace and quiet should not be disturbed in other ways, especially near churches.

Many states have similar rules, but they differ significantly in the details.

For example, breaking a rule in Bavaria can result in a fine of up to €10,000. In Berlin, violations are punished with a maximum fine of €1,000, but in most cases it is significantly less.

There are also big differences when it comes to the ban on dancing. In Bavaria, this applies from Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday) to Holy Saturday. In Berlin the rules are handled more loosely: the dancing ban only applies from 4 am to 9 pm on Easter Friday, as the Interior Senate administration announced.

In Hamburg, the dancing ban will be relaxed further this year. While last year there was a 24-hour ban on dancing starting from 2 am on Karfreitag, this year it applies from 5 am on to midnight – five hours shorter, as the Senate Chancellery announced. 

Dancing bans affect many discos

Dance bans generally affect many clubs.

So it comes as little surprise that the Association of German Discotheques (BDT) is fundamentally against dance bans: “A dance ban encroaches on the entrepreneurial freedom of the discotheque industry and forces it to restrict operations or shut down completely, even though there is demand,” the association told DPA.

The BDT added that the lack of nationwide uniform regulations is unfair to businesses in certain regions: “It should not be the case that some companies have to record massive losses in sales due to the dancing ban and others benefit from it.”

The Berlin Club Commission also suggests that dance bans are a “disproportionate restriction on freedom as cultural institutions”.

The BDT reports that the dance ban is enforced through random checks by the public order offices.

Private celebrations are not generally subject to the ban, but depending on the volume – and depending on the state regulations – they can ultimately be considered a violation of the holiday rules.

Bans on cinema

Additionally, certain films are not allowed to be shown in cinemas on silent holidays. However, there are no restrictions for television and streaming services, according to the Self-Regulatory Body of the Film Industry (FSK).

The FSK decides which film does not receive a so-called holiday release. “The regulations in the state laws go back to provisions from the Weimar Republic, so they come from a time when films could only be seen in cinemas,” said the FSK.

However, a lot has changed since then – in the films and the specifications. While in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s over half of all feature films were classified as “non-holiday-free”, the percentage fell continuously to a third in the 1980s and only 3.8 percent in the 1990s.

As of 2000, the proportion of feature films not released on public holidays was one percent or less.

“So far in 2024 there has not been a cinema film without a public holiday release,” said the FSK. In 2023, out of 643 films tested, only one (“Evil Dead Rise”) did not receive a holiday release.

Prominent examples of films that were not released include “The Life of Brian” (1980) and “The Knights of the Coconut” (1976).

a cross displayed as Easter service

Pilgrims follow the service on the cathedral square during the Erfurt diocesan pilgrimage. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Reichel

Respectful or outdated?

There are many Easter Friday rules and, different ones from state to state. Are so many complicated and unequal regulations still in keeping with the times, especially in view of the continuing decline in church membership?

For the Berlin Interior Senate administration, apparently yes: the rules correspond to a fundamentally Christian character, they say. In addition, the interests of different population groups are taken into account by limiting the duration of the bans and the possibility of exceptions.

In heavily Christian Bavaria, where the crucifix is ​​mandatory in public buildings, the Interior Ministry underlines the relevance of the rules: “Protection on Sundays and public holidays is a very important concern for the Bavarian state government.” 

The discotheque association sees it differently, dubbing the rules as “outdated and unfair”.

The FSK also considers film bans to be outdated: “From today’s perspective, the legal restrictions on films in cinemas on silent holidays are hardly understandable.”

So what’s on for Friday?

Quiet holiday or not, in some places Germans are defiant against dancing bans, even scheduling publicly promoted dance parties.

Many of Berlin’s clubs, for example, see the four-day Easter weekend as a chance to host parties for up to 96 hours. 

According to posts on Resident Advisor, Berlin’s infamous Berghain/Panorama Bar will be opening as usual on Friday night — as will KitKatClub for a queer kink rave.

Events at a few other clubs will even open as early as Thursday night, allowing attendees to potentially dance all the way through Friday and into the weekend.

In Munich, at least one party is scheduled to start on Friday at Rote Sonne from 11pm until 8am Saturday.

In Leipzig, an event at Elipamanoke will kick off at 11:59pm on Friday. 

Perhaps due to the legal restrictions, there are currently no parties posted on Resident Advisor for Friday in other major cities in Germany, including Cologne, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt – cities which have previously slapped fines on residents for breaking the ban. But in each city a handful of parties are planned for Saturday.

But even here, you can probably find a place to dance if you ask around.

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