Living in Germany: The Ampel's first year, a glass Tannenbaum and the coldest winter

When Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) entered office on December 8th, 2021, he could never have predicted the year he would face. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the energy crisis and even a potential coup, Germany’s new coalition has had to tackle crisis upon crisis - and still try to implement its own ambitious agenda at home.

How well the government has managed either of these tasks is up for debate, but what’s clear is that there has been movement on some of their key pledges this year.

We’ve seen progress towards a new citizenship law - a subject close to many of our readers’ hearts - and a point-based immigration system.

We’ve also seen the wheels turning on a new nationwide €49 “Deutschlandticket” that could be up for sale next spring. A controversial abortion law has also been shelved, while Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has been spearheading plans for a legal cannabis market. But as our review of the coalition’s kept (and unkept) promises shows, there’s still plenty of work to be done. 

Tweet of the week

#Warntag2022

Expectation Reality pic.twitter.com/dPcuy3W2Mh

— Nic Houghton (@40PercentGerman) December 8, 2022

Phones across the country let out an ungodly wail on Thursday as the government carried out its second ‘Warntag’ - or “warning day” - to test its emergency notification systems. But it wasn’t quite the dramatic scene that some were expecting, as Nic Houghton points out in this tweet. 

Where is this?

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lars Klemmer

This heartwarming snap was taken in the East Frisian town of Leer, which is nestled on the northern coast of Germany near the Dutch border. The centrepiece of this year’s Christmas market is a stunning Tannenbaum, or Christmas tree, formed entirely of glass. If you want to visit it, be sure to go at night, when the pyramid-shamed sculpture is fully lit up with dazzling LED lights.  

Did you know?

Temperatures are set to drop well below freezing this week, with some meteorologists predicting that the mercury will sink to a bone-chilling -20C. But while you’re shivering next to the nearest radiator, you may be comforted to know that this winter is far from the coldest on record.

The coldest winter in Germany was recorded way back in 1829/30, when temperatures averaged a nippy -6C - and this was at a time when central heating was a distant pipe dream. But during the Second World War, citizens also had to struggle through a spate of freezing winters in which temperatures average just -5C.

Nevertheless, these chilly winters pale in comparison to the coldest temperature ever recorded in Germany: back in 2001, the weather station in Berchtesgaden National Park in Bavaria reported the country’s lowest-ever temperature of -45.9C. 

So if this week feels unbearably cold, just know it’s not that cold. But that certainly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy a Glühwein or too - and remember to wrap up warm.