Overview
- Berlin will field about 4,300 police on New Year’s Eve, enforce enlarged no‑pyrotechnics areas at Alexanderplatz, Sonnenallee, Admiralbrücke and the expanded Steinmetzkiez, and roll out roughly 3,000 bodycams for police and fire crews.
- Authorities report about 147,000 illegal fireworks seized in Berlin ahead of the holiday, with federal police also intercepting prohibited F3/F4 pyrotechnics at the Polish border.
- Private fireworks remain legal for adults only on December 31 and January 1 under national law, while cities impose local bans and buffers near churches, hospitals, care homes and historic districts such as Neustadt’s timber‑framed Old Town.
- Retail sales began December 29 with heavy demand and long queues at specialty shops like Röder Feuerwerk in Schlüsselfeld, despite ongoing calls for stricter limits or a nationwide ban.
- Medical and animal experts warn of preventable injuries, emergency‑room strain and stress to pets and zoo animals, and housing companies urge residents to clear flammable items from balconies after past rocket‑sparked fires.