Germany news: Smaller cities top out happiness rankings

Skip next section Reutlingen: Fire at substation suspected to have been arson June 9, 2026

Reutlingen: Fire at substation suspected to have been arson

Authorities in the south-western German city of Reutlingen suspect that a large-scale power outage on Monday was a result of arson.

The city of around 120,000 people just south of Stuttgart was left without power following fires at two local substations.

Criminal prosecutors in the state of Baden-Württemberg said that, according to preliminary investigations, "one or several as yet unknown perpetrators" broke into one of the substations on Sunday night and intentionally started a fire with the help of accelerants.

On Monday morning, many local businesses were unable to open and supermarkets had to dispose of perishable food because they couldn't power their refrigerators.

By Tuesday, local authorities said the vast majority of households in Reutlingen and the surrounding area had been reconnected at least temporarily to the power supply but that some 50 businesses were still without power.

It is still unclear who might be behind the attack, and no claim of responsibility has been received.

The incident is reminiscent of two arson attacks on the power supply in Berlin earlier this year, allegedly carried out by left-wing extremists, which cut power supplies to thousands of people for several days in the depth of winter.

https://p.dw.com/p/5F6IE

Skip next section Captain Kimmich urges World Cup squad to aim high June 9, 2026

Captain Kimmich urges World Cup squad to aim high

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has said in a TV interview that he hopes the entire squad is eying the grand prize at the upcoming World Cup.

"I hope that everyone who is here wants to become world champion," the 31-year-old told Magenta TV.

"But that alone won't take us very far on the path if we merely want it. We must also now do something to ensure we win matches," he said, a day after the squad convened for its first preparatory training session at its World Cup base camp at The Graylyn Estate in North Carolina.

Kimmich praised the facilities, saying that "everything is prepared superbly," but he warned that a similarly suitable base of operations had not helped last time out.

"I also felt at home in Qatar. But we were still eliminated at the end of the group stage," the Bayern Munich star recalled.

Germany's opening group stage game is against Curacao — competing in its first ever World Cup — on Sunday, June 14.

Can the FIFA World Cup kick-start the economy?

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Skip next section Moscow court upholds sentence for satirist June 9, 2026

Moscow court upholds sentence for satirist

A Moscow appeals court has upheld the eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence against German satirist Jacques Tilly.

Russia has issued an international arrest warrant for Tilly, who is being tried in absentia.

He was convicted of offending religious feelings and spreading false information about the Russian armed forces through models he created for traditional Carnival parades in his home town of Düsseldorf. He has lampooned Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occastions.

Judge Vladimir Ussov said the three-judge panel rejected the defense appeal and confirmed the original ruling.

Defense lawyer Natalya Dudkina argued that Tilly’s criminal responsibility had not been properly assessed during the investigation, citing the lack of a psychiatric evaluation. She had earlier called for his acquittal due to insufficient evidence.

Tilly dismissed the case as an "absurd show trial" and said the verdict would not affect his satirical work.

The case has highlighted tensions over artistic expression as Russia has tightened controls during the war.

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Skip next section Judge on trial over alleged sexual harrassment June 9, 2026

Judge on trial over alleged sexual harrassment

A German judge has gone on trial, accused of sexually harassing a junior colleague.

Prosecutors said Tuesday the 56-year-old defendant appeared before the Fulda Regional Court over incidents between September 2023 and February 2025.

The indictment alleges he repeatedly touched a trainee judge in a sexual manner and threatened her, including in offices at the Kassel District Court.

Prosecutors said the judge used his senior position to exert pressure, including references to evaluations and a possible transfer. The defendant is alleged to have touched the "young, inexperienced trainee judge" over her clothing on her bottom and breasts on several occasions.”

They said the woman had made clear she wanted a strictly professional relationship but tolerated the behavior for a time out of concern she could be reassigned, as she needed to remain in Kassel to care for her father.

In February 2025, she sought a transfer to the regional court in Kassel, which took effect in May, citing a "constant, underlying threat," prosecutors said.

The defense rejected the allegations as "untenable" and based on rumors, arguing the two had engaged in mutual flirting before she took up her post and later had a consensual relationship. "He never intended to harm her," the defense said.

The court excluded the public during the woman’s testimony at the defendant's request.

https://p.dw.com/p/5F5TS

Skip next section Germany returns to net electricity exporter June 9, 2026

Germany returns to net electricity exporter

Germany has become a net exporter of electricity again for the first time since late 2023.

Data showed first-quarter imports fell 15.5% while exports rose more than 20%, leaving a surplus of 3.1 billion kilowatt-hours.

According to from the Federal Network Agency, Austria was Germany's biggest electricity customer in the first quarter. Exports to Denmark and Norway saw the strongest growth and deliveries to France declined.

Total electricity generation fed into the grid reached 126.6 billion kilowatt-hours in the quarter. More than half, 53.3%, came from renewable sources such as wind and solar. Output from renewables rose nearly 14% year on year, while conventional generation slipped just under 2%.

The rise in renewable output was mainly driven by a sharp increase in wind power. Generation jumped nearly 29% to 42.8 billion kilowatt-hours, lifting its share to about one-third of total domestic production. By contrast, solar power output fell 7.4% to 10.3 billion kilowatt-hours.

Among conventional sources, coal-fired generation dropped more than 5% to 30.5 billion kilowatt-hours, though it remained the second-largest energy source with a 24.1% share. Gas-fired output increased by 3.2%.

How this small German village got dirt-cheap energy prices

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Skip next section Dutch king praises Germany at state visit June 9, 2026

Dutch king praises Germany at state visit

Dutch King Willem-Alexander has warmly welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the start of a three-day state visit to Amsterdam.

The king spoke in German, praising Germany’s resilience and innovation while highlighting close bilateral ties.

Speaking alongside Queen Maxima and Steinmeier's wife Elke Büdenbender, Willem-Alexander said Germany remained a pillar of Europe’s economy, science and democracy, adding it was "a country you can rely on."

Steinmeier, in turn, described the Netherlands and Germany as deeply intertwined partners, joking that they think alike, "except, of course, when it comes to football," ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

The German president was earlier received with military honors. Willem-Alexander, whose father was the German-born Prince Claus of Amsberg, is closely connected to Germany and speaks fluent German.

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Skip next section Frankfurt Airport shuts Terminal 2 for overhaul June 9, 2026

Frankfurt Airport shuts Terminal 2 for overhaul

Frankfurt Airport has shut down Terminal 2 for a major, long-term overhaul set to last for years.

Airport operator Fraport took the terminal out of service on Tuesday, citing the need for extensive renovations after more than three decades of use.

The upgrade is expected to cost around €1.5 billion ($1.73 billion), with reopening planned for the mid-2030s and capacity of over 10 million passengers a year.

Main construction work is scheduled around 2030, with preparatory planning already underway. Core systems, including security technology and building infrastructure, will be fully replaced.

Frankfurt Airport's Terminal 3 faces crucial stress test

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Skip next section Leo surges among Germany's top baby names June 9, 2026

Leo surges among Germany's top baby names

The name Leo has climbed into the top tier of baby names in Germany, reflecting a broader trend toward short, punchy choices.

The Association for the German Language says the name has risen from 12th to fourth place last year, without confirming any clear link to the election of Pope Leo XIV.

The group said names like Leo and Theo show parents increasingly favor concise, distinctive names. Short, modern names have been gaining ground for years across Europe.

The top spots remained unchanged, with Sophia/Sofia leading for girls and Noah for boys. Emma and Emilia followed for girls, swapping places, while Mia, Lina, Ella, Hanna/Hannah, Klara/Clara, Mila and Lia/Liah also ranked highly.

Among boys, Mat(h)eo/Matt(h)eo and Theo followed Noah, with Emil, Leon, Elias, Paul, Luca/Luka and Henry/Henri also among the most popular.

The data also pointed to strong regional differences, with more Christian and biblical names in southern Germany than in the north, and continued contrasts between east and west.

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Skip next section Germany sees record political crime cases June 9, 2026

Germany sees record political crime cases

Germany has recorded a new high in politically motivated crimes, with nearly 86,000 cases logged last year.

The figure rose by about 2% from the previous record, authorities said, after already surging sharply in 2024.

Officials warn that political tensions are increasingly spilling into crime.

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and Interior Ministry cited election-related offenses as a key driver, with the 2025 federal vote contributing to the rise. Around 60% of cases involved propaganda offenses or property damage.

About half of all crimes were attributed to right-wing actors, remaining at roughly the same level as the year before. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said right-wing extremism still poses the greatest threat, noting a worrying increase in youth violence.

At the same time, left-wing offenses saw the sharpest rise, up around 35% to nearly 13,500 cases. Dobrindt said increased mobilization, including protests that turned violent, had contributed to the spike.

Cases linked to foreign ideology fell by about 6%, while those tied to religious motives rose by nearly 6%. Violent crimes also increased overall, with both right- and left-wing incidents climbing, though cases linked to foreign ideology dropped significantly.

Police also reported a rise in hate crimes to around 22,000 cases, including about 6,500 antisemitic offenses, up 5%. Anti-LGBTQ+ crimes also rose markedly, increasing 12.8% to 2,377 cases, with a disproportionately high share involving violence.

What's fueling right-wing extremism in young German men?

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Skip next section German exports rise in surprise third monthly gain June 9, 2026

German exports rise in surprise third monthly gain

German exports have risen for a third consecutive month, unexpectedly defying forecasts despite global strain from the Iran war.

Data published by the Federal Statistics Office showed that exports increased 0.9% in April from the previous month, beating expectations for a 0.5% decline.

Exports reached €136.6 billion ($157.7 billion), supported by demand from Europe and the United States. Economists surveyed by the news agency Reuters had anticipated a drop after gains of 0.3% in March and 3.6% in February.

Exports to EU countries climbed 1.0% to 79.1 billion. Shipments to the United States rose 1.8% to €11.4 billion, while exports to China fell 3.5% to €5.8 billion.

German economy under pressure

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Skip next section Smaller cities top Germany’s happiness rankings June 9, 2026

Smaller cities top Germany’s happiness rankings

Erfurt has been crowned as the happiest of Germany’s 40 biggest cities, jumping to the top of a nationwide survey.

The SKL Happiness Atlas shows the Thuringian capital rising from sixth place to the top. Former leader Kassel slumped to 13th spot in the annual survey.

While Düsseldorf, Germany's seventh-largest city, came in third place, smaller cities tended to pack the higher rankings. Augsburg in Bavaria, Krefeld in western Germany and the northern city of Kiel made up the rest of the top five.

Germany's second-largest city, Hamburg, rated a solid tenth. However, the Bavarian capital, Munich, was joint 24th alongside Leipzig, and Berlin found itself sharing 35th place with Nuremberg.

Erfurt led with a score of 7.74 out of 10, while the northern port city of Rostock was rated last by a wide margin: 5.8 compared to the next unhappiest town of Wiesbaden on 6.5.

Regional divides persisted. Western cities scored highest on average, while eastern cities lagged despite modest gains. Cities in the northwestern state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous in Germany, posted some of the largest improvements.

Researchers said Erfurt displayed some key strengths, including a relatively solid economy compared with other eastern German cities. Low rents in comparison with larger places, as well as strong environmental quality, also played a role.

"Indicators of material prosperity do not fully capture people's happiness,” said study author Bernd Raffelhüschen of the University of Freiburg. “Intangible factors such as a sense of community and personal identification with one's place of residence also play a major role.”

Pollsters from the Allensbach Institute research group carried out the survey for the SKL state lottery association.

Good luck, bad luck and happiness in Germany

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Skip next section Welcome to our coverage June 9, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Guten Tag from the DW newsroom in Bonn, which ranks as Germany’s 15th happiest city according to a new survey. That's five places above our larger nearby neighbor, Cologne, by the way.

Satisfaction rankings for Germany’s 40 biggest towns showed that the capital of the state of Thuringia, Erfurt, has the happiest residents in Germany.

In general, the results showed that the residents of smaller cities appeared to be happier than those in places like Berlin and Munich.

Follow our live updates to find out why. And stick with us here for more of the stories that Germany is talking about.

https://p.dw.com/p/5F3Q1

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