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Hundesteuer bringt rund 430 Millionen Euro ein
Dog owners in Germany usually pay a tax. The tax is called the dog tax. The money goes to their town or municipality. The Federal Statistical Office…
German news, graded for learners
Real German news, rewritten as graded readers from A1 to B2. Read the German with its English translation side by side — the text is free, here and in the app.
RSS feedAusbildung in der Pflege wird immer beliebter
In Germany, more young people want to work in nursing again. They do vocational training. After that, they work as nurses. In 2025, there were almost 64,000…
Deutschland feiert die Einheit – und ein Dorf erinnert an die Mauer
On 3 October there is a public holiday throughout Germany. It is called “German Unity Day”. In the past there were two German states: East and West. Since…
Alkoholverbot an Bahnhöfen und Winterzeit: Was sich im Oktober ändert
In October there are new rules in Germany. They are important for many people. Deutsche Bahn has a new rule from 15 October. From then on, you may not drink…
Kindergeld kommt ab 2027 oft ohne Antrag
Parents in Germany get money for their children. This money is called child benefit. Until now, parents have had to fill in an application after the birth.…
Ab 2027 gibt es wieder zehn Kinderkrankentage
Parents in Germany get days off work when their child is ill. These days are called child sick days. From 2027 there will again be ten days per child per…
Jedes sechste neue Auto in der EU fährt elektrisch
More and more cars in the EU run on electricity. In 2025 one in six new cars was electric. There have never been that many before. That was 17.3 percent of…
Die Linke gewinnt in Berlin, die AfD in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
On Sunday there were elections in Berlin and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The two federal states now have new parliaments. In Berlin the party Die Linke won. It…
Tanken wird billiger: Bund und Länder senken die Steuer auf Sprit
Petrol and diesel are very expensive in Germany. A litre of petrol costs about 2.36 euros. That is much more than last year. That is why the federal and state…
Auf der Flohschanze in Hamburg gehört das Feilschen dazu
The Flohschanze is a flea market in Hamburg. The market is open every Saturday. Many people know it. The market is held in front of an old hall. The hall is…
Das Oktoberfest beginnt mit einem neuen Sicherheitskonzept
Oktoberfest begins in Munich on 19 September. The festival takes place on the Theresienwiese. It runs until 4 October. Oktoberfest is the biggest folk…
Zuwanderung hält die Familien in Deutschland stabil
Many people in Germany live in a family. That is 49 percent. The Federal Statistical Office has new figures. There used to be more people. In 1996 it was 57…
Benzin so teuer wie nie: Regierung plant Entlastungen
Petrol and diesel are very expensive in Germany. One litre of Super E10 costs 2.273 euros. Petrol has never been this expensive in Germany. One reason is the…
Die „Wiesn-Grippe“: Warum viele nach dem Oktoberfest krank werden
The Oktoberfest starts in Munich on 19 September. About six million visitors come to the festival. At the festival many people sit very close together. They…
Als die Deutschen selbst Auswanderer waren
Today many people come to Germany. It used to be quite different. Back then there were many emigrants from Germany. In the 19th century life was often hard.…
Läden und Restaurants sollen Karte und Bargeld annehmen
Germany has a new plan. Shops and restaurants should soon accept cards. You will then be able to pay digitally there too. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil…
Die EU will Ferienwohnungen in Städten begrenzen
Housing in Europe is expensive. Rents in the EU have been rising for years. Today they are about 20 percent higher than ten years ago. Many flats are only…
In Geschäften fehlen bald viele Verkäuferinnen und Verkäufer
Germany will soon be short of many skilled workers. A new study shows this. In 2029, around 723,000 skilled workers will be missing. The gap is biggest in…
Was eine AfD-Regierung in Sachsen-Anhalt ändern will
In the election in Saxony-Anhalt the AfD is the strongest party. But it does not have a majority of its own. That is why it needs other parties. Its leading…
Deutsche Rakete erreicht zum ersten Mal die Umlaufbahn
A German rocket is flying into space. The rocket is called “Spectrum”. On Saturday evening it reaches orbit. The launch is in Norway. The launch site is…
Hacker veröffentlichen Daten der Berliner Verwaltung
Criminal hackers put data from Berlin's city administration on the internet. There are around 1.44 million files. The data comes from an attack in August. The…
Roboter und China bestimmen die IFA in Berlin
In Berlin, the IFA technology fair is starting. There, companies show new technology. Very many companies come from China. 928 companies from China are at the…
Der Liter E10 kostet erstmals mehr als 2,20 Euro
Petrol has never been this expensive in Germany. A litre of E10 costs around 2.22 euros. That is a new record. The old record is from the year 2022. The old…
Warntag und neue Garantie-Regeln: Was sich im September ändert
In September there are new rules in Germany. They are important for everyone. The nationwide warning day is on 10 September. At 11 a.m. a test alert arrives.…
Welche Branchen noch Personal suchen
In Germany, many people have no work. In August, 3.061 million people are unemployed. The unemployment rate is 6.5 percent. Nevertheless, there are many open…
Wer zuerst zum Hausarzt geht, soll schneller drankommen
The government in Germany is planning a new law. Sick people should then go to their family doctor first. Only after that comes the specialist. Klaus…
Zuckersteuer: Auch Light-Getränke sollen teurer werden
Cola and lemonade will soon be more expensive in Germany. The federal government is planning a new tax on sweet drinks. The tax is due to arrive in 2027. The…
Wie die Erholung nach dem Urlaub länger hält
The holiday is over. You come back to the office. After a few days the stress is back. Experts call this the fade-out effect. The calm from the holiday slowly…
Aldi und Lidl streiten über Rabatt-Apps
Aldi is advertising in Germany. The discounter says: You do not need an app for low prices. The price on the shelf is the same for all customers. You do not…
Zwei Jahre Cannabis-Gesetz: Was jetzt geändert werden soll
Since April 2024, cannabis has been partly legal in Germany. Adults are allowed to have cannabis. They may also grow it at home. Now two years have passed.…
Mehr ausländische Berufsabschlüsse werden anerkannt
Many people learn a profession in another country. Then they come to Germany and want to work here. But first they need recognition. An office checks the…
Falsche deutsche Online-Shops: So erkennt man sie
Many online shops look German. They have a German name and a German web address. But the companies are often based in China. The German Retail Federation…
Gute Nachrichten für Kaffeetrinker – bis zu fünf Tassen sind in Ordnung
Many people drink coffee every day. But how much coffee is healthy? The American Heart Association (AHA) is a big organization in the USA. It reviews many…
Ferienende: Volle Autobahnen im Norden
The summer holidays are over in many federal states. That is why many families are driving home. On Saturday there were long traffic jams in the north. On the…
Blaualgen im See: Wann kann man sicher baden?
In summer many people in Germany go to the swimming lake. But not every lake is safe. In Saxony there is a problem. The health office in the Vogtland district…
65 Jahre Mauerbau: Berlin gedenkt der Opfer
On 13 August 1961 the building of the Wall begins in Berlin. The GDR builds the Wall in the middle of the city. That was exactly 65 years ago today. The Wall…
Neue EU-Regeln für Verpackungen – was sich für Verbraucher ändert
In the EU there are new rules for packaging. The rules have applied since Wednesday. The EU wants less waste. By 2030 almost all packaging should be…
Wenig Wasser in den Flüssen: Lkw dürfen sonntags fahren
The Rhine and the Elbe currently have very little water. It is very dry in Germany. Ships can therefore only transport a little. Large lorries are normally…
Mieten bei neuen Verträgen steigen um 3,2 Prozent
Rents in Germany keep rising. This applies to new rental contracts. New tenants therefore pay more money. Rents are 3.2 percent higher than a year ago. This…
Ein kostenloses Schwimmbad vor der Berliner Volksbühne
There is a new swimming pool in Berlin. It stands in front of the Volksbühne. The Volksbühne is a well-known theatre. The swimming pool has been open since…
Sonnenfinsternis am 12. August: So schützen Sie Ihre Augen
On Wednesday, 12 August, there is a solar eclipse. The moon moves in front of the sun. You can see it in Germany. The eclipse begins in the evening at around…
Inflation in Deutschland liegt im Juli bei 2,8 Prozent
Inflation in Germany remains high. In July 2026 the inflation rate is 2.8 percent. That is what the Federal Statistical Office says. The number means: prices…
EU startet Milliardenprojekt für KI-Rechenzentren
Artificial intelligence needs many fast computers. The EU wants to make Europe's computers stronger for AI. That is why the EU is planning up to seven large…
Hitzewelle: Deutsche kaufen mehr Wasser und Eis
At the end of June, it is very hot in Germany. Temperatures rise to almost 40 degrees. Many people want something to drink in the heat. That is why people now…
Immer mehr E-Scooter-Unfälle in Deutschland
In Germany, there are more and more accidents with e-scooters. The police count 16,496 accidents with injuries or deaths in 2025. That is 38.1 percent more…
Alkoholfreies Bier wird in Deutschland immer beliebter
Non-alcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular in Germany. Many people in Germany like it. They like to drink beer without alcohol. In 2025, the…
Drei von zehn 25-Jährigen in Deutschland wohnen noch bei den Eltern
Many 25-year-old people in Germany still live with their parents. In 2025, that is 30 percent. That is almost one in three. The Federal Statistical Office has…
Jeder Fünfte in Deutschland kann sich keinen Urlaub leisten
Many people in Germany have little money. They cannot afford a holiday. In the year 2025, it is one in five. That is 21 percent. That is about 17.3 million…
Inflation in Deutschland sinkt im Mai leicht auf 2,6 Prozent
Prices in Germany are rising more slowly in May 2026. The Federal Statistical Office reports an inflation rate of 2.6 percent. In April it was still at 2.9…
Urlaub in Südeuropa ist oft deutlich günstiger als in Deutschland
The Federal Statistical Office compares prices in Europe. It is about restaurants and hotels. In April 2026, a vacation in the south is often cheaper. North…
Immer mehr Menschen starten in Deutschland eine Kreuzfahrt
More and more people are taking ocean cruises from German ports — about 1.51 million in 2025, a new record.