Overview
- Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association, appealed to federal and state interior ministers to ban private fireworks, citing severe injuries, full emergency rooms, environmental damage, and trauma for war refugees.
- Despite a petition with more than 2.2 million signatures, interior ministers have not agreed on a nationwide ban, leaving rules to a patchwork of local restrictions.
- Major cities detail enforcement for New Year’s Eve: Hannover will bar categories F2–F4 and other pyrotechnics across much of the center from 20:00 to 03:00, Bremen bans fireworks at the Schlachte and within 150 meters of the UNESCO‑listed Rathaus and in the Schnoor, and central train stations in both cities prohibit carrying or igniting fireworks.
- Authorities warn of fines that can reach thousands of euros under local orders and up to €50,000 under the federal explosives law, with planned patrols, confiscations, and controls in designated zones.
- Municipalities are promoting alternatives and tightening local rules, including a lasershow and dance in Erdings old town with a strict ban, an Abbrennverbot in Günzburg’s historic center, a new prohibition in Vellmar’s Ahnepark, and continued retail sales limited by law to Dec 29–31 as manufacturers report higher volumes.