Inside Germany: €49 ticket hikes, chimney sweeps and the unlikely fall of the Berlin Wall

Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

Price hike down the track for the Deutschlandticket

Since it came on the market back in May last year, Germany's €49 monthly travel pass has been a resounding success, with millions taking advantage of affordable and flexible travel on regional transport all around the country. 

But as the saying goes, nothing gold can stay - and it appears that the Deutschlandticket is on track to lose one of its main selling points. 

After months of hand-wringing over the future of the travel deal, state transport ministers announced at the end of last month that the price of the pass would go up by €9. The increase is set to come into force at the start of 2025 and will bring the cost of the ticket up to €58 per month.

So far, there have been mixed reviews on the change from Deutschlandticket holders. When we asked our readers for their thoughts, around half said they felt the rise was reasonable, while the other half said they thought the price should remain the same or even be reduced.

Nick, 55, who lives in Hesse, summed up the views of many when he told us he felt the ticket was still great value for money - even with the new price tag. 

"I use the ticket extensively and feel I get excellent value for money," he said. "This will certainly continue even with the increase."

Meanwhile, others said they were willing to pay a bit more if it contributed to improving Germany's transport network and fixing the endless punctuality problems.

However, some readers said they were considering cancelling their Deutschlandticket subscription as soon as the price goes up. That included Nuremberg resident Laura, 38, who said she didn't use the ticket enough to justify the higher price tag.

"I'm definitely contributing more than I'm receiving by having it, but currently the convenience is worth it," she said. "If they raise the price, it won't be anymore."

With Deutsche Bahn also announcing a spate of new price increases for train travel this year, it looks like public transport users in Germany are set to be squeezed from multiple directions.

How this will impact the take-up of the Deutschlandticket - and public transport more generally - remains to be seen.

READ ALSO: What we know so far about the Deutschlandticket's price hike

Tweet of the week

Sometimes Germany's bureaucracy is a little maddening, to say the least, as journalist Maurice Frank sums up in this tweet. 

What's the German word for you having to show a bureaucrat your Anmeldung even though they know you're angemeldet because they wouldn’t have otherwise written to you?

— Maurice Frank (@mauricetfrank) October 4, 2024

The unity of chimney-sweeps 

You may be wondering why these dapper gentlemen would wear their best suits to step out for a hike in the rain - and the answer has a lot to do a with charming annual tradition. 

Every year on the German Day of Unity, chimney sweeps from all over the country gather together to hike in the Harz mountains in a celebration of reunification - wearing their customary outfits.

This year, the fog and rain didn't stop the men gathering with their families and hiking up the beautiful Brocken mountain in Saxony-Anhalt.  

The accidental fall of the Berlin Wall

You may have seen pictures of the joyful reunion of families after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but did you know that its sudden collapse was partially an accident?

On November 9th, 1989, very few people woke up expecting to see the wall torn down later that evening. Rather, the communist leaders of the DDR had decided to placate protesters by simply announcing a new set of more relaxed travel restrictions between East and West.

At the press conference announcing the news, however, the government's new spokesperson - Günter Schabowski - made a major slip.

Asked by a reporter when the new rules would come into force, the poorly-briefed Schabowski hesitated and looked at his notes, before replying: "Ab sofort" - "Right away".

Within hours, tens of thousands had gathered at the wall demanding to be let through - a throng of citizens that the border guards were powerless to withstand. As they say, the rest is history. 

READ ALSO: 10 things you never knew about German reunification