Kate Connolly

Berlin mayor Kai Wegner ended his reelection campaign after sustained pressure from within the CDU following public outrage over his decision to play tennis during a major January blackout. The incident, widely dubbed “tennis-gate,” eroded trust and harmed the CDU’s standing in polls, prompting Wegner to conclude he could no longer communicate effectively with voters. He acknowledged communication mistakes but defended his handling of the emergency. Polls now place the CDU behind Die Linke and the Greens, with Wegner expected to be replaced by finance senator Stefan Evers.

Austrian cultural figures launched a campaign to keep Stefan Zweig’s former villa in public hands after owner Wolfgang Porsche put it on the market following backlash over his planned private tunnel. The University of Salzburg expressed readiness to act as interim owner, arguing Austria holds a moral responsibility to preserve the site’s cultural legacy. A petition urging government intervention has gained thousands of signatures, while the property’s planning permission for a tunnel remains valid only until 2028.

Angela Merkel unveiled a commissioned portrait by artist Jérémie Queyras after months of private sessions in Berlin. The painting, displayed at the Bode-Museum before moving to the German chancellery, depicts Merkel in a blue blazer with symbolic personal items arranged behind her. Queyras was selected after contacting Merkel in 2022 and completed the work following discussions about the meaning of portraiture and the risks associated with representing a politically polarising figure. Merkel paid for the work herself to ensure clear ownership, and the unveiling coincides with renewed nostalgia for her time in office.

Lothar Matthäus argued that tensions over players arranging travel and accommodation for family members during the World Cup distracted Germany’s squad and contributed to their defeat by Paraguay. Reports from German media echoed widespread criticism of the team’s mentality, coaching decisions, and performance, while public figures such as Chancellor Friedrich Merz drew ridicule for overly positive reactions. Debate intensified over Julian Nagelsmann’s future as head coach, with Jürgen Klopp mentioned as a possible successor, as commentators highlighted fear and lack of focus within the squad.

Six employees of a youth welfare facility in Stade were shot and killed, with police arresting the suspected gunman and another person. Authorities said the attack appeared to stem from a family custody dispute rather than political or extremist motives. Police secured the area, pursued a fleeing vehicle and took suspects into custody. Officials expressed condolences while noting that mass shootings remain relatively rare in Germany despite several recent high-profile cases.

A major exhibition at Berlin’s Martin Gropius Bau presents 150 works by Gabriele Stötzer, marking the most substantial state museum recognition of an East German female artist. Stötzer’s creative development began during her imprisonment in the GDR for protesting against the expatriation of Wolf Biermann, and her work reflects themes of resistance, feminist solidarity and personal expression under an oppressive regime. Curators emphasize that the exhibition aims to reposition her not only as a historical witness but as a significant artist in her own right. The showcase highlights the broader cultural importance of East German art within unified Germany’s collective memory.

Wolfgang Porsche has listed his historic Salzburg villa for sale following intense local backlash against his plan to build a €10m private tunnel linking the property to a city car park. Critics argued the project symbolized inequality in a city already facing housing pressures, prompting protests and political opposition. Although the tunnel approval remains valid until 2028, the Greens are urging its withdrawal, claiming it inflated the property’s value. The estate is now on the market for €12.7m, with the permitted tunnel promoted as a key feature, while a Porsche representative described the controversy as envy-driven and declined to explain the decision to sell.

A failed maintenance operation on Deutsche Bahn’s communication network shut down train services across Germany, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers and prompting strong criticism. The outage, caused by replacement of an aging GSM‑R component, halted passenger and freight trains nationwide before service began recovering early Wednesday. The disruption intensified scrutiny of Germany’s deteriorating railway infrastructure, marked by declining punctuality and reliance on outdated technology. Political figures condemned the system failure as symptomatic of broader structural and investment challenges facing the country’s transport network.

A swimming lake in Halle introduced a rule blocking visitors who could not speak German, prompting criticism from city authorities, national anti-discrimination officials and the DLRG, who argued the measure was disproportionate and potentially xenophobic. Manager Mathias Nobel defended the ban as a safety requirement following incidents of ignored rules, while far-right AfD politicians used the dispute to advance anti-immigrant messaging ahead of regional elections. Local officials demanded the ban be rescinded and urged alternative communication methods such as pictograms and multilingual safety notices.

Germany plans to gradually raise its retirement age to about 70 by the early 2090s under recommendations from an expert commission backed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The proposals link retirement age to life expectancy, end early retirement options, expand compulsory contributions to civil servants and the self‑employed, and introduce stock‑market investment of pension funds. Merz argues the reforms are essential to prevent the pension system’s collapse, while critics warn they unfairly affect manual workers and increase dependence on capital markets. The government aims to pass the reforms before the summer recess.

Large areas of France, Spain and Germany are experiencing a significant heatwave, with temperatures expected to surpass 40C in several regions. Emmanuel Macron urged heightened vigilance as France placed most of its departments under heat alerts and recorded disruptions including train cancellations and exam rescheduling. Meteorological agencies across western Europe warned of prolonged and intense heat, with Spain and Germany also issuing advisories and forecasting high temperatures and storm risks. Energy output reductions at nuclear plants and the cancellation of public events were among the wider impacts as authorities emphasised caution for vulnerable populations.

Julia Kerr’s long-forgotten musical works, including her opera Chronoplan, were revived during a family gathering at Albert Einstein’s former summer house in Caputh. Scholars uncovered miscatalogued scores in Berlin archives, leading to new performances and renewed recognition of her talent. The rediscovery aligns with a wider effort to highlight overlooked female composers and will be featured in Berlin’s upcoming Exile Museum. Family members reflected on Kerr’s interrupted career, shaped by exile from Nazi Germany and later work in postwar institutions, as her compositions gain long-overdue public and academic attention.

A court ruling prevents Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner from closing Görlitzer Park at night, keeping gates open despite a €2m fence installed to curb drug activity. Local residents and activists argue the measure merely shifts illicit behaviour elsewhere and diverts funds from addiction services and social support. Opposition to the fence highlights long‑standing cultural and political tensions in Kreuzberg, with critics framing the closure plan as symbolic politics ahead of upcoming elections. Campaigners call for more integrated solutions and aim to remove the park’s boundaries entirely.

A German government plan to reclassify nightclubs as cultural venues is expected to strengthen protections for struggling clubs facing rising rents, social changes and noise disputes. The proposed change to building regulations, supported across parties, would allow clubs to operate in more residential and mixed-use areas and make evictions more difficult. Advocates including Marc Wohlrabe and industry groups say the shift recognizes the cultural value of music clubs and could slow the widespread closure of venues in cities such as Berlin. Some stakeholders, including Jakob Turtur, warn the reform may come too late for many clubs and argue it falls short of granting them full cultural institution status alongside theatres and museums.

A German tourist received €986.70 in compensation after a court in Hanover ruled that a tour operator was responsible for failing to ensure fair access to sunloungers at a hotel in Kos, Greece. The court found that despite resort rules against reserving loungers with towels, staff did not enforce them, leaving the man and his family without loungers and sometimes lying on concrete. The decision emphasized the operator’s obligation under package travel laws to prevent such conflicts and maintain a reasonable balance between available loungers and guests.

Tens of thousands of pupils across Germany plan to strike in protest against the government’s rearmament policies and new military service measures, which include mandatory questionnaires and possible future conscription. Organisers warn that expanded defence spending and tightened military requirements could endanger young people’s autonomy and push the country toward conflict. Demonstrations highlight frustration with underfunded education, housing pressures and broader crises affecting youth. Government leaders argue increased military capacity is essential to address threats from Russia and meet Nato expectations, while critics fear the rhetoric and scale of rearmament echo troubling historical parallels.

Marine experts criticised a €1.5m privately funded effort to rescue a stranded humpback whale off Germany after it was revealed that the tracking device fitted to the animal was not working. The whale’s condition and location remain unknown, and the German Oceanographic Museum believes it is likely dead. Scientists raised concerns over the lack of data transparency, the decision-making behind the release, and tensions among rescue personnel. Danish authorities stated they would not intervene if the whale was found in distress. The financiers of the mission later distanced themselves from how the release was conducted and called for accountability from those operating the rescue vessels.

Donald Trump criticised German chancellor Friedrich Merz, urging him to focus on domestic issues and efforts to end the Russia‑Ukraine war rather than engaging on Iran. The remarks followed Trump’s suggestion that the US might reduce its troop presence in Germany. German officials downplayed the comments, noting similar discussions under previous US administrations and emphasizing ongoing preparations for potential shifts in US force deployment. Analysts and political figures highlighted both the strategic importance of US bases in Germany and the need for Europe to reduce reliance on US security guarantees.

Experts from the International Whaling Commission and the Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund warn that attempts to rescue a severely weakened humpback whale stranded off Germany’s Baltic coast are inadvisable due to the animal’s poor condition and the risks of added stress. Despite progress in moving the whale onto a barge and towing it toward deeper waters, scientists say it is unlikely to survive and suggest that further intervention amounts to animal cruelty. The operation, funded by two multimillionaires and widely followed across Germany, continues under scrutiny as authorities monitor the whale and prepare for the possibility of recovering and examining its remains if it dies.

Rescuers in Germany succeeded in coaxing a stranded humpback whale named Timmy onto a barge, aiming to transport it from the Baltic Sea to deeper North Sea waters. The high-profile effort, funded by two wealthy backers and closely followed by crowds and media, comes after weeks of attempts to treat the weakened animal. Officials expressed hope for its recovery despite ongoing disputes among experts over the whale’s condition and the viability of the rescue plan.