Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Germany is increasingly revoking protections for Syrian refugees, according to a government response in parliament
- Russia adds Germany’s Research Centre for East European Studies (FSO) to its list of ‘undesirable’ organizations
- A techno parade in Berlin takes place under heightened security following last month’s deadly attack during a Pride march
- Johannes Liebmann breaks the world record in the men’s 1,500m freestyle at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris
Below is a roundup of the top headlines from and about Germany on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2026:
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For coverage of the wildfire in western Germany, head over to our dedicated blog.
Skip next section Residents of evacuated village return home as Eifel fire subsidesPublished 08/16/2026Published August 16, 2026last updated 08/16/2026last updated August 16, 2026
Residents of evacuated village return home as Eifel fire subsides
A wildfire in the western Eifel region that forced the evacuation of the village of Gey on Friday has been brought enough under control that residents can return, local authorities have said..
“Firefighting operations are continuing but the situation continues to ease up,” the Düren district administration said on Sunday.
It said around two-thirds of Gey residents, who number around 1,800, had returned by Sunday morning after being given the all-clear on Saturday evening.
The blaze, which has burnt out some 300 hectares (741 acres) has been described as the most serious wildfire in the recorded history of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
It has, however, now been dwarfed a nearby fire in Belgium’s High Fens region, which is raging across 3,000 hectares and has approached to within 3 kilometers (2 miles) of the German border.
The fires in western and other parts of Europe come amid a prolonged period without meaningful rain that has left undergrowth and many trees parched and highly inflammable.
Climate scientists say that such conditions are occurring ever more frequently as the Earth warms owing to the human use of fossil fuels.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IuTpSkip next section WATCH: Germany reviews Berlin Pride attack security failures08/16/2026August 16, 2026
WATCH: Germany reviews Berlin Pride attack security failures
What can surveillance, electronic ankle monitors and deradicalization programs realistically achieve? And what are the limits of Germany’s justice and security system?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IuYpSkip next section Russian authorities open criminal case against German reporter08/16/2026August 16, 2026
Russian authorities open criminal case against German reporter
Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation against a journalist from the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on suspicion of inciting hate and hostility, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency has reported.
The case centers on a question asked by the journalist to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month.
The reporter asked Zelenskyy at a press conference in Belgrade what Europeans could do to help Ukraine kill more Russian soldiers as it fights Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
According to TASS, the journalist could face up to six years in a penal colony if convicted in Russia.
Russian courts also hand down sentences in absentia.
The paper has previously said it regrets that the question had been phrased ambiguously, saying that killing as many Russian soldiers as possible was not the FAZ’s editorial position.
It, however, also criticized as “unacceptable” what it described as “defamation and threats” against its correspondent.
“We will respond to threats against our employees using legal means,” it said.
The FAZ press office told the DPA news agency that it was not aware of the proceedings in Russia.
The journalist concerned covers southeastern Europe for the newspaper from Vienna.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IuWbSkip next section Yiddish festival in Weimar draws thousands of visitors08/16/2026August 16, 2026
Yiddish festival in Weimar draws thousands of visitors
The 26th edition of a festival celebrating Yiddish and related cultures in the eastern city of Weimar ended on Saturday evening after some 12,000 people attended.
This year, the focus was on women in Yiddish culture.
Organizers said more than 300 people from around the world participated in workshops on the Yiddish language, music and dance, as well as youth projects.
“From the beginning, (the idea was) to present Yiddish culture as something which is alive, and not something that was entirely destroyed by the Shoah (Holocaust),” said Alan Bern, the founder and artistic director at Yiddish Summer Weimar, the body behind the festival.
The Yiddish language first emerged in the Middle Ages in the German-speaking regions of Europe and later spread to other parts of Europe in various waves of Jewish migration.
It is a Germanic language and partially mutually intelligible with German. In its written form it typically uses a modified form of the Hebrew alphabet.
Who speaks Yiddish?
In the 1930s, Yiddish was spoken as a vernacular by around 11 million Central and Eastern European Jews. The number of speakers was drastically diminished by the murder of some 6 million Jews in the Holocaust under Nazi Germany.
Yiddish also declined as Jewish communities began adopting other languages like English, Hebrew, Russian and French.
Now, the language is spoken by between 500,000 and 1 million people.
It is mostly spoken as a mother tongue by certain tight-knit ultra-Orthodox communities in North America, Israel and to a lesser extent parts of western Europe.
However, enthusiasts from other communities also learn it as a second language out of cultural or academic interest or in an effort to preserve it.
Yiddish Summer Weimar presented 97 events in all this year in Weimar, Erfurt, Eisenach and other towns and municipalities in the eastern state of Thuringia, as well as in Istanbul, Agios Lavrentios in Greece and the German town of Zittau.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IuE0Skip next section German investment in US falls to three-year low08/16/2026August 16, 2026
German investment in US falls to three-year low
German companies have cut investment in the United States to its lowest level in three years, as uncertainty over the Trump administration’s trade policies weighs on new spending.
Direct investment fell by almost two-thirds year on year to €4.3 billion ($5 billion) in the first half of 2026, according to calculations by the German Economic Institute, or IW, based on Bundesbank data.
Compared with the first half of 2024, investment was down by nearly 80%.
In the five years before the COVID-19 pandemic, German companies invested an average of €15.8 billion in the US during the first half of each year — almost four times the 2026 level.
The IW said the decline continued a trend visible since Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025.
Trump has repeatedly used or threatened import tariffs against US trading partners in an effort to secure concessions.
The European Union last year struck a deal aimed at avoiding heavier US duties that included a pledge of $600 billion in investment.
The IW said uncertainty around such policies was making German companies more reluctant to commit fresh capital in the US.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IuBtSkip next section Twelve police injured at abortion protest in Göttingen08/16/2026August 16, 2026
Twelve police injured at abortion protest in Göttingen
Proests over abortion have escalated in the northern German city of Göttingen, leaving 12 police officers injured after officers intervened to keep rival groups apart.
Police said around 20 people had initially gathered in the city’s market square for a registered anti-abortion demonstration under the slogan “Public rosary against abortion,” with some participants travelling from France.
A spontaneous counter-protest formed nearby, with demonstrators disrupting the anti-abortion gathering through heckling and loud music, police said.
Officers formed a police line to separate the two groups.
After the registered demonstration ended, some counter-protesters allegedly tried to break through the police cordon.
Police said protesters used pressure and violence against officers as they tried to push through the line.
Officers responded by forcing the crowd back and using physical force and pepper spray. Police said force was used on around 200 occasions during the operation.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IuBoSkip next section Germany increasingly revokes protection for Syrian refugees08/16/2026August 16, 2026
Germany increasingly revokes protection for Syrian refugees
Germany has sharply increased the number of Syrians losing refugee or other protection status as authorities reassess cases following the fall of dictator Bashar Assad.
In the first half of 2026, 23.2% of 8,320 reviews ended with protection being revoked or withdrawn, according to a government response to a parliamentary question from the socialist Left Party.
The proportion has risen significantly from previous years.
In 2025, only 3.7% of reviewed Syrian cases resulted in protection being withdrawn, compared with 3.1% in 2024.
Most cases involved the loss of formal refugee status or subsidiary protection — a separate status accorded to refugees but with fewer protections.
Syrians who lose protection may still qualify for another residence permit, for example through employment, or potentially for German citizenship.
Even without another legal status, deportation to Syria remains difficult because returns require cooperation from Syrian authorities.
What is Germany’s debate around Syrian refugee returns?
Germany resumed deportations to Syria following Assad’s fall in December 2024. They were the first deportations since 2011, when Syria’s civil war broke out.
Earlier this year, Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that some 80% of Syrians living in Germany could return to Syria over the next three years.
The comments sparked considerable political backlash, with experts arguing the timeframe was unrealistic and others pointing to the large number of Syrians working in Germany’s already understaffed medical system.
Around 973,000 Syrians were living in Germany at the end of 2023, with some 700,000 having refugee status or subsidiary protection.
Over 200,000 Syrians have acquired German citizenship — making them the largest group of new naturalizations in recent years — and around 70,000 have permanent residence.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Iu3ESkip next section Welcome back!08/16/2026August 16, 2026
Welcome back!
Richard Connor | Saim Dušan Inayatullah Editor
We are continuing our coverage of news from Germany on Sunday, August 16.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Iu6dSkip next section We are pausing our coverage08/16/2026August 16, 2026
We are pausing our coverage
We will be back in the morning with more news from and about Germany.
Bis bald!
https://p.dw.com/p/5ItqGSkip next section Germany’s Weber clinches another European javelin gold08/15/2026August 15, 2026
Germany’s Weber clinches another European javelin gold
Germany’s Julian Weber has won European Championship gold in the javelin throw for the second time.
The 31-year-old overcame shoulder issues to finish ahead of his teammate Nick Thumm with his final throw of 90.40 meters.
“I just wanted to show that I’m a mental beast. I’m so glad it worked out. I’m incredibly happy,” Weber told ZDF public television.
Four years ago, he also secured a javelin gold at the European Championships in Munich.
Germany now sits third in the medal table with four golds, behind Italy and the United Kingdom.
On Friday, German sprinter Owen Ansah won the 200-meter final despite facing a potential ban from the National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany for allegedly failing to comply with a doping test.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IthISkip next section Germany’s Johannes Liebmann breaks world record in men’s 1,500m freestyle 08/15/2026August 15, 2026
Germany’s Johannes Liebmann breaks world record in men’s 1,500m freestyle
German teenager Johannes Liebmann set a new world record in the men’s 1,500 meter freestyle with a time of 14 minutes, 26.79 seconds at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Liebmann, who is 19 years old, beat the previous record of 14 minutes, 30.67 seconds, that had been held by American Bobby Finke since the 2024 Olympics.
Liebmann set out a cracking pace from the very beginning, with spectators cheering him on to the finish line over the final 200 meters.
Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany won the silver medal, and Liebmann’s teammate Oliver Klemet won the bronze medal.
Liebmann, who was taking part in his first European Championships, won the 800-meter freestyle earlier this week too.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ItaeSkip next section President calls for end to fear after Berlin Pride attack08/15/2026August 15, 2026
President calls for end to fear after Berlin Pride attack
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged society to protect the LGBTQ+ community against attacks like the van ramming and stabbing near the Berlin Pride parade three weeks ago.
On July 25, an Islamist attacker drove a van into a crowd and then allegedly attacked people with a machete, killing a woman and injuring at least 31 people.
“In an open society, everyone must be able to follow their own path,” Steinmeier wrote in an article for the Zeit Online website.
This right applies “not only without fear, but also with pride; not only in private, but also in public,” he asserted.
“Everyone has the right to self-determination, particularly where it concerns the very core of every human being — the expression of one’s own personality, love and partnership, physicality and sexuality,” the head of state continued.
Steinmeier said the attack primarily targeted queer people, leaving many afraid.
He stressed that a robust democracy cannot tolerate this and must prioritize law enforcement, public safety and education.
The head of state made the comments as several smaller German cities held their own Pride events this weekend, including Darmstadt, Bayreuth, Krefeld and Münster.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ItURSkip next section Berlin’s Rave the Planet techno event starts with moment of silence08/15/2026August 15, 2026
Berlin’s Rave the Planet techno event starts with moment of silence
Kieran Burke Editor
As tens of thousands of partiers gathered for “Rave the Planet” — a Berlin music event labeling itself a political demonstration — there was quiet before organizers began blasting music.
The now high-security event began with a moment of silence for the victims of an Islamist attack on an LGBTQ+ pride event at the same spot three weeks ago.
Taking place under the motto “imagine love,” Rave the Planet is the first major party event in the German capital since the July 25 terror attack.
A Christopher Street Day (CSD) organizer invited to Saturday’s event called on those gathered to “be courageous” … “especially now.”
A large police presence is on hand to protect revelers, streets and paths have been closed and trams will not stop at regular destinations as a result of the event.
https://p.dw.com/p/5It8vSkip next section Rhine water levels fall again08/15/2026August 15, 2026
Rhine water levels fall again
Water levels on the Rhine River have fallen to new record lows, greatly disrupting river-borne cargo transport, as a prolonged dry spell continues in most of Germany.
According to the inland navigation agency WSV, the water level gauge at the Kaub bottleneck near Koblenz fell to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) late on Friday and was 8 cm early on Saturday.
Until this year, the previous lowest level marked by the gauge was 25 cm recorded in 2018.
The gauge gives the depth over an arbitrary baseline near the bank of the river, but is an indication of the navigable depth at that point, which is around a meter (3 feet) deeper.
Most cargo previously transported on the Rhine has been shifted to road and rail, but these transport methods cannot fully compensate for the heavy loads carried by ships.
For this reason, companies have started to report disruption to their supplies, with chemical producers, utilities, steelmakers warning of higher costs, transport bottlenecks and reduced production.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Isd5Skip next section Bonn authorities warn of potential danger after ordnance find08/15/2026August 15, 2026
Bonn authorities warn of potential danger after ordnance find
Authorities in the western city of Bonn have called on people to avoid an area of the Rhine riverbank in the Gronau district after ordnance was found there.
They said they would provide more information on any evacuation measures and street closures as it became available.
The ordnance was found not far from DW’s Bonn headquarters, meaning that any evacuation order could also affect the international broadcaster.
The danger level has so far been described as “slight.”
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