June 26, 2025

A man armed with a knife has been shot dead by police in the town of Wangen im Allgäu in Germany's southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg.

One officer was seriously injured during the incident on Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Stuttgart.

The man reportedly pulled a knife during what the LKA described as a "routine police operation." Officers then opened fire.

According to police in Ulm, several patrol units were involved in the operation in the town, southeast of the city of Ravensburg near Lake Constance. The area was cordoned off, and police stated that there was currently no danger to the public.

June 26, 2025

German consumers are holding back on spending, a study has shown, slowing the recovery in private consumption.

Consumer sentiment stagnated in June, halting its recent recovery, according to the data from research groups GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM). The consumer climate index has slipped by 0.3 points to -20.3.

Although expectations for both the economy and income have improved, GfK and NIM state that "a rising propensity to save is preventing the consumer climate from continuing its recovery."

"After three consecutive increases, the consumer climate has now taken a slight hit," said Rolf Bürkl, consumer expert at NIM. He added that the increase in saving reflects "ongoing uncertainty and a lack of planning security" among consumers.

Income expectations rose by 2.4 points to 12.8. Compared with June 2024, that marks a 4.6-point gain. Researchers cited strong recent wage agreements, particularly in the public sector, and a now moderate inflation rate as key drivers.

However, these positive expectations have not translated into a greater willingness to buy. "Uncertainty caused by the still unpredictable policies of the US administration, particularly on tariffs and trade, is prompting German consumers to remain cautious," the researchers said.

Instead, the saving inclination rose sharply from 10.0 to 13.9 points.

June 26, 2025

Authorities in Erfurt, the capital of the eastern state of Thuringia, have carried out new searches at the offices of the Police Union (GdP).

The Erfurt public prosecutor's office confirmed the operation when asked but did not comment on the background or any possible links to earlier raids in March.

In March, investigators searched GdP offices as well as the homes and police stations of several officers. Those searches were part of investigations into allegations including breach of official secrets, violations of weapons laws, and theft. The case has since drawn attention in Thuringia's state politics.

According to sources with the DPA news agency, today's search was based on a court-issued warrant. It reportedly interrupted a scheduled meeting of the union's extended state executive board.

June 26, 2025

The Bundesliga will kick off the new season with Bayern Munich hosting RB Leipzig, the German Football League has announced.

The season opener is set to take place at the Allianz Arena on Friday, August 22.

June 26, 2025

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has defended the decision to stop financial support for civilian sea rescue organizations operating in the Mediterranean Sea.

"Germany remains committed to humanity and always will be," Wadephul said at a press conference alongside his Canadian counterpart on Thursday.

"But I don't believe it is the foreign office's job to use funds for this type of sea rescue," he added.

The German Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said no money had been earmarked for migrant rescue groups in Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil's new budget plans.

The German government had been giving out around €2 million (around $2.3 million) per year in recent years. Already in the first half of 2025, almost €900,000 had been provided to groups such as Sea-Eye, SOS Humanity and Sant'Egidio.

Sea-Eye responded to the news with sharp criticism of the new German government.

June 26, 2025

The number of divorces in Germany has stabilized in 2024, according to data released by Germany's Federal Statistical Office, also known as Destatis.

About 129,300 couples divorced last year — an increase of just 0.3% or 329 cases compared to 2023.

This puts the figure roughly in line with the previous year, which had marked the lowest level since German reunification. "In the long-term trend, the number of divorces has declined — except for a few years — since 2003," Destatis reported.

On average, couples divorced in 2024 had been married for 14 years and eight months.

The number of marriages is also continuing to fall. In 2024, a total of 349,200 marriages were registered, down 3.3% or 11,800 from the previous year.

Of these, 340,400 were between a man and a woman (351,800 in 2023), and 8,800 were same-sex marriages (9,200 in 2023).

June 26, 2025

German camera maker Leica is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first mass-produced 35 mm camera, while reporting strong growth for its most recent financial year.

Chief executive Matthias Harsch told the DPA news agency that sales in the year ending March 31 nearly reached €600 million ($701 million), calling it "an absolutely fantastic year" for the company.

Leica has grown "on a global basis," Harsch said, expressing confidence about the current year despite ongoing international trade tensions.

He noted that Leica had shipped large volumes of cameras and lenses early to the US — an important export market — when higher tariffs appeared likely. He now expects solutions to the trade dispute soon, allowing the company to move forward with "great optimism."

Leica is also considering entry into new product segments, including the potential launch of a smartphone with Leica optics for the European market.

So far, the "Leitz Phone," developed in collaboration with the Japanese manufacturer Sharp, has only been available in Japan. Leica optics are also featured in high-end smartphones made by Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi.

June 26, 2025

Germany has recorded its deadliest weekend for swimming accidents so far this year — and one of the worst in the past decade — according to the German Life Saving Association (DLRG).

At least 15 people died last weekend, DLRG spokesman Martin Holzhause told the RND media group. "It was the deadliest weekend this year and one of the deadliest in the past 10 years," he said, noting that the final number may rise as not all cases have been confirmed.

The DLRG, which describes itself as the world's largest voluntary water rescue organization, said drowning fatalities in Germany have increased each year for the past three years. In 2024, 411 people drowned — 31 more than in 2023.

"On hot weekends, the risk of accidents while swimming always increases. But I cannot explain why so many people died last weekend," Holzhause said.

He added that climate change is contributing to a higher drowning risk by increasing the number of hot summer days.

"This also increases the dangers posed by heat," he said, calling for more supervised swimming areas across the country.

Recent reports of swimming deaths have included small children as well as adults. The incidents happen in swimming pools, lakes and rivers.

June 26, 2025

Guten Tag from DW's newsroom in Bonn, and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Thursday, June 26.

Germany has just seen one of its deadliest swimming weekends in a decade, with at least 15 drownings.

Rescuers who reported the figures warn that climate change and too few supervised spots are raising the risk, with another hot weekend expected.

Meanwhile, the German Bundestag is set to debate the fallout of the recent conflict between Israel and Iran and the extension of Bundeswehr troop deployments in Lebanon and Kosovo.

For all of the latest news from Germany, stay tuned here.