Overview
- German Medical Association president Klaus Reinhardt urged a prohibition on private pyrotechnics, endorsing only organized displays to reduce severe injuries and hospital burdens.
- Environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe pressed Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt for a nationwide ban and said an open letter has surpassed 800,000 signatures.
- Police reported early incidents: a severely injured 18-year-old in Heidelberg after a firework exploded near his face, a bar outbuilding fire in Mannheim linked to improper use, and an arrest in Berlin over illegal sales including powerful kugelbomben.
- Frankfurt and Wiesbaden set fireworks-free and security zones for New Year’s Eve with expanded police deployments, while officers note it is hard to prove illegality once devices have detonated.
- Industry groups rejected a blanket ban, arguing serious injuries stem largely from illegal products, even as imports and sales have surged and polling indicates sizable support for restrictions.