Overview
- Hamburg police will prohibit carrying and using fireworks around the Binnenalster and Rathausmarkt from December 31, 18:00 to January 1, 01:00, with only category F1 items such as sparklers allowed.
- Munich has issued a first-time 150‑meter exclusion zone around Tierpark Hellabrunn to protect animals, with signage in place and police designated to enforce the order.
- Munich is maintaining its inner-city rules: firecrackers are banned inside the Mittlerer Ring while rockets remain permitted there, and a total carry-and-use ban applies in the pedestrian zone from Stachus to Marienplatz and at the Viktualienmarkt.
- Officials cite repeated New Year’s Eve incidents, including injuries to civilians and attacks on emergency responders in Hamburg, as well as animal welfare concerns near the zoo.
- Enforcement falls to police and local offices, violations can draw substantial fines that have reached up to €50,000 in Munich, and city leaders note they lack legal authority for blanket citywide bans without federal changes.