Overview
- Germany will turn clocks back from 3:00 to 2:00 in the night from Saturday to Sunday, 24–25 October 2026, with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and the DCF77 transmitter performing their routine legal time update.
- A DAK‑/Forsa survey shows 71 percent of Germans now call the twice‑yearly switch unnecessary while 29 percent say they have experienced health or mental problems after a change, with women and young adults reporting the biggest shifts in opinion.
- Chronobiologists describe each shift as a 'mini‑jetlag' and recent reviews favor permanent standard time (winter time) because morning light better anchors the body clock and may reduce sleep and cardiovascular harms linked to shifts.
- Most smartphones, clocks and public systems update automatically from the PTB signal but households should check manual timers such as heating controls and employers should clarify shift rules since unions and court practice say the extra hour worked in the fallback night is usually paid if not contractually agreed.
- Political action is stalled: more than 40 MEPs led by Peter Liese have called again for an end to the switches, the EU Council still has no common position, and the Commission’s study due at the end of 2026 could tip the balance toward a coordinated decision.