Overview
- The clocks will be set back from 3:00 to 2:00 in the night from Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, October 25, 2026, giving people one extra hour of sleep.
- Germany’s legal time is provided by atomic clocks at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig and broadcast to devices via the DCF77 transmitter in Mainflingen, which will carry the automatic change.
- The European Parliament voted in 2019 to end seasonal clock changes, but member states have not reached a common choice of permanent time, so the biannual switch remains in place under current EU rules.
- Health and transport authorities warn of real effects: sleep experts advise gradual schedule shifts and daylight exposure, Deutsche Bahn treats the change as routine but notes possible timing quirks for night services, and drivers should expect darker commutes and higher risk of wildlife collisions.
- Other jurisdictions are moving differently — for example British Columbia ended the practice in 2026 — and the EU has published switch dates through 2031, so discussions about a permanent fix continue without an agreed outcome.