Germany news: Neuschwanstein killer fights extradition to US

Skip next section Motorway speed limit would greatly reduce deaths — study July 12, 2026

Motorway speed limit would greatly reduce deaths — study

If a speed limit were introduced on Germany's motorways, it could considerably reduce accident deaths there, a study has shown.

"With a maximum speed of 130 kilometers (81 miles) per hour, there would be 25-30% fewer fatalities on the Autobahn," said researcher Siegfried Brockmann from the Björn Steiger Foundation, which carried out the study.

Brockmann said that corresponded to some 70-90 people, with 292 killed in motorway accidents in 2025 from a figure of more than 2,800 on all roads.

Currently, there is no general speed limit on German motorways, though there are often restrictions for certain sections.

However, studies have shown that a majority of people in Germany are in favor of having one, even though the Transport Ministry has so far rejected the idea.

Advocates of a speed limit of 130 kmh on the Autobahn and 80 kmh on other roads also point to the environmental benefits, with the Environment Ministry saying this would cut 2.7% of greenhouse emissions from road transport.

Speed limits on the German Autobahn? Yes, really!

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

Skip next section Railway improvements will take time — transport minister July 12, 2026

Railway improvements will take time — transport minister

Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder has warned that improving the reliability of train services will be a gradual process, while praising thenew CEO of railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DB), Evelyn Palla, for her approach.

"We will only achieve the big progress needed in reliability and punctuality step by step," he told the German news agency DPA.

"It is completely illusory to think that the railway world will be back in order in two years," he said, speaking of a "decade of modernization."

"For years and decades, too little has been invested in all transport forms, particularly rail," he said, while stressing that DB had to play a role by improving its procedures.

Train punctuality in focus

A new railway strategy paper sets the goal of having at least 70% of long-distance trains arriving at their destinations without notable delays. In June, just 52.6% were on time.

According to the new magazine Spiegel, Palla has called for at least €13 billion ($14.8 billion) up to 2030 — in addition to the billions already earmarked by the government for infrastructure modernization — to improve punctuality.

Schnieder said that Palla, who became CEO in October 2025, was tackling the problems well and "taking the right steps in the right direction."

He said that she was turning the state-owned company into an economically viable one and that a much better financial result was expected this year.

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

Skip next section IN DEPTH: How a Jewish heir is taking on Germany's far-right AfD July 12, 2026

IN DEPTH: How a Jewish heir is taking on Germany's far-right AfD

Heavily supported in eastern states, the Alternative for Germany is using a GDR cultural icon, the Schwalbe moped, in its campaigning. Now, the Jewish heir of the manufacturer is fighting to protect his family's legacy.

Learn more about how Dennis Baum, whose grandmother belonged to the Jewish family that founded the Simson company in the town of Suhl in Thuringia, is fighting to stop the far-right AfD from using his family's name and legacy in this report.

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

Skip next section Drowning fatalities hit 23-year high in June July 12, 2026

Drowning fatalities hit 23-year high in June

At least 99 people drowned in Germany in June, the highest number in 23 years, the German Lifesaving Association (DLRG) said on Sunday.

It said most of those who drowned were 30 years old and under, while more than 90% were male.

"It is mostly men who take too many risks and underestimate dangers. They also go into the water in a state of intoxication from alcohol or other drugs," DLRG President Ute Vogt said.

Altogether, 55 of the drownings occurred in lakes, with 21 taking place in rivers and six in swimming pools, the sea and canals, respectively.

Most of the deaths were in the two states with the highest populations, North Rhine-Westphalia (22) in the west and Bavaria (21) in the south.

Germany, along with much of western Europe, suffered a severe heat wave at the end of June that saw temperatures climb above 40 C (104 F) in several regions.

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

Skip next section Neuschwanstein killer contests extradition back to US Published July 12, 2026last updated July 12, 2026

Neuschwanstein killer contests extradition back to US

A 33-year-old US man who has been convicted of the rape and murder of a fellow US tourist near Neuschwanstein Castle three years ago has objected to his ordered extradition, saying he might face the death penalty in his homeland.

In his lawsuit against the order at the administrative court in Augsburg, he has argued that if he returns to the United States, he could face another trial for the crimes, which could result in a death sentence.

The man is currently serving a life sentence in Germany for the murder and rape of the tourist, as well as the attempted murder of a second woman. The regional office of foreign affairs later issued a deportation order against him.

However, in this case, as a "particular severity of guilt" was found in the judgment against the man, he could possibly remain in prison for 20 to 25 years under German law.

That would mean that a deportation order would not be enforced for around two decades.

A spokesman for the Kempten public prosecutor's office said there was currently no review procedure on whether he could be deported from prison.

The crime was widely reported around the world because of the famous site where it was committed.

https://p.dw.com/p/5GxN1

Skip next section Welcome back to our coverage July 12, 2026

Welcome back to our coverage

The DW newsroom in Bonn says guten Tag to all DW users as it resumes its coverage of all things German.

As already mentioned, the weather has moved from warm to uncomfortably hot in much of the country, making the prospect of a swim all the more enticing to many.

But we urge everyone to be careful in the water as news comes in that June saw the highest number of drownings in Germany in 23 years.

Germany's ailing railway system — probably the most-complained-about aspect of life in the country — is (once more) in focus in this blog as the transport minister warns passengers that improvements to punctuality will take some time.

And a study on another mode of transport, car travel, shows that a 130 kmh/81 mph speed limit on Germany's famous autobahn would cut the number of fatalities there by at least a quarter.

We wish you a pleasant reading journey in our Germany news blog!

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

Skip next section This blog is on pause July 11, 2026

This blog is on pause

We are pausing our coverage for now. Join us again on Sunday morning for more coverage of the German news and analysis.

https://p.dw.com/p/5GwK2

Skip next section WATCH: How Nazi party membership records are rewriting family histories July 11, 2026

WATCH: How Nazi party membership records are rewriting family histories

The Nazi Party membership records are published online by the US National Archives.

The files are now giving answers to the question of millions of Germans: Were my grandparents Nazis?

https://p.dw.com/p/5Gw1d

Skip next section Germany's Pretzel festival: 111 people try to move 111-ton train July 11, 2026

Germany's Pretzel festival: 111 people try to move 111-ton train

111 people set out to pull a 111-ton train at a distance of 111 meters — did it work?

Organizers said this collective feat of human strength during the Brezelfest — a festival dedicated to pretzels — in Speyer, a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in southwestern Germany, went smoothly.

"The locomotive reached the finish line in just over two minutes. Everyone was surprised at how quickly the whole thing went," Uwe Wöhlert, chairman of the Speyer Tourism Association, told dpa.

Nineteen teams from the region, ranging from weightlifters and wrestlers to municipal utilities and government officials, participated in the event.

The organizers had registered the challenge as a world record attempt. They plan to submit an application to the Record Institute for Germany (RID). A notary public observed the event.

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

Skip next section IN DEPTH: Germany's richest man takes on Big Tech July 11, 2026

IN DEPTH: Germany's richest man takes on Big Tech

Dieter Schwarz made his fortune from supermarkets, becoming Germany's wealthiest person. Now he wants to take on Google, Microsoft and Amazon, and an entire region stands to benefit.

Read more to find out if Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital division of Schwarz Group, can hold its own against US tech giants.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Gw1g

Skip next section Hamburg-Hanover rail line reopens after renovation July 11, 2026

Hamburg-Hanover rail line reopens after renovation

The Hamburg-Hanover line, one of the busiest railway routes in Germany, was back in operation on Saturday after major renovation works.

Since May 1, the entire line between Hanover, the capital of the northern state of Lower Saxony, and Hamburg, Germany's second largest city, had been closed to train traffic.

The route is essential for linking northern and southern Germany, for commuters and for freight transport to and from the Port of Hamburg.

Over the past 10 weeks, 81 kilometers of track, 44 sets of points, four stations and two large railway bridges were renewed along the 163-kilometre route. Deutsche Bahn said that around €300 million ($342 million) was invested in the project.

The company plans to address urgent works needed before the comprehensive refurbishment due in 2029.

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

Skip next section German Football Federation close to signing Klopp as head coach July 11, 2026

German Football Federation close to signing Klopp as head coach

"During this constructive exchange," the statement continued, "an understanding was reached on the key points of a potential contract. The talks will continue next week. Both sides are confident that the negotiations — subject to an agreement with Klopp’s current employer, Red Bull — can ultimately be successfully concluded."

Klopp will reportedly receive an annual salary exceeding the €7 million ($7.9 million) that former national trainer Julian Nagelsmann received while coaching the German national team to an early exit from this year's tournament.

Klopp, a successful Bundesliga and English Premiere League coach who is currently in the US as a TV commentator for this year's World Cup, is under contract at Red Bull until 2029.

The head of the Austrian energy drink giant's international football program, Klopp would reportedly stay on as a brand spokesman for Red Bull while serving as Germany's Bundestrainer.

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

Skip next section Authorities suspect sabotage after railway fire disrupts services July 11, 2026

Authorities suspect sabotage after railway fire disrupts services

Authorities said a fire that damaged signalling cables on a major railway line in western Germany on Friday was likely a deliberate act of sabotage.

The fire broke out near the tracks on the route between Düsseldorf and Cologne, causing operations to be halted on that section of line, with disruptions lasting into Saturday.

A Cologne police spokesman said investigators were looking into whether a criminal offense had been committed.

A spokesman from national rail operator Deutsche Bahn told the dpa news agency that repair work on the affected section, between Langenfeld and Leverkusen, is set to continue until at least Saturday afternoon.

Read more about the left-wing German group that claimed responsibility for the railway sabotage.

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

Skip next section Far-right AfD confirms Saxony-Anhalt party leader in office July 11, 2026

Far-right AfD confirms Saxony-Anhalt party leader in office

Delegates at the congress of the Saxony-Anhalt chapter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have reelected Martin Reichardt as state leader despite a controversy over an alleged Nazi salute.

Reichart received around 89% of the vote, with 191 delegates casting a ballot at the congress in the state capital, Magdeburg.

A photo from 2020 taken at a party shows Reichardt stretching out his left arm in what two witnesses described to the news portal Politico as a Nazi salute, a gesture banned in Germany, even when performed with the left arm.

Reichardt has denied any wrongdoing, saying the gesture was one of conferring a mock knighthood.

Police in the German city of Erfurt also looked into Reichardt in 2023 after he described President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as "one of the worst dividers and agitators in German history." The investigation was later dropped.

The party has been classified as "certified right-wing extremist" by the state branch of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, theBfV.

The classification means that the party can be monitored by the BfV, which the AfD, however, says is an agency instrumentalized by the government to quell opposition.

Despite Reichardt being the party's leader in the state, the AfD is fielding his colleague, Ulrich Siegmund, as its candidate for the September state elections.

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

Skip next section AfD presents 100-day plan for Saxony-Anhalt July 11, 2026

AfD presents 100-day plan for Saxony-Anhalt

Ulrich Siegmund, the candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at September elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, has detailed what the party plans to do in its first 100 days in office should it win power.

Polls in the state currently show the party well ahead of the conservative Christian Democrats of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

What is the AfD planning to do if it wins in Saxony-Anhalt?

Among other things, Siegmund said the AfD would:

Cancel the public broadcasting agreement with state broadcasters such as the ARD and ZDF, which the party has claimed are leftist-oriented government mouthpieces

Increase the number of deportations of failed asylum-seekers and expand immigration detention centers

Force asylum-seekers to work and establish special schools for their children

Deploy security personnel at schools seen as problematic

Make homeschooling, which is otherwise mostly banned in Germany, an option for parents, although a two-thirds majority would be required in the state parliament to make that change

Abolish inclusion in education, meaning that special needs pupils would have to attend separate schools

Require German flags to be hoisted every day at schools, while rainbow flags symbolizing the acceptance of diversity would be banned

Establish an investigative committee to look into the federal government's management of the coronavirus pandemic, with the AfD in particular objecting to its promotion of vaccines and face masks as preventive measures, despite the fact that medical experts consider them the most effective ways of combating COVID-19.

Experts have said that many of the AfD's proposals will face a number of legal and logistical hurdles.

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

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