More than 3,000 incidents were recorded in 2024, including verbal attacks, women being spat on and mosques being defaced. In other news, a ceremony was held in Berlin to remember an East German uprising. DW has more.
A civil society report by the organization Claim documented more than 3,000anti-Muslimincidents in Germany in 2024.
The report links the surge to geopolitical events and warns of growing normalization and brutality in anti-Muslim racism.
Separately, Germany's commissioner for victims of the former East German regime, Evelyn Zupke, has called for more public attention to the often-overlooked impact of East Germany's state-run doping program, especially on minors, in her 2025 annual report.
This blog is now closed. Here are the main developments inGermanyon Tuesday, June 17.
Speaking to German media on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "confident" that a trade agreement would be reached with the United States by the time a reprieve onWashington's tariffsexpires on July 9.
Merz said he did not expect a "very comprehensive" deal, adding that agreements would likely be limited to large sectors.
Most importantly for Germany, Merz said, the sectors in question include the auto industry, on which US President Donald Trump hasslapped blanket 25% tariffs.
"We need a solution quickly here," he told Germany's ZDF public broadcaster. "Otherwise, it will simply become too expensive."
The chancellor also pointed out that the European Union is carrying out trade negotiations on behalf of all 27 member states, and that Germany could not carve out a separate deal for itself.
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Several people were involved in an incident with a knife-wielding assailant on a city bus in Germany's northern metropolis of Hamburg Tuesday evening, the mass circulationBildnewspaper reported.
Citing police, the newspaper reported that four people were injured.
Witnesses cited byBildsaid a man with a knife entered the bus and demanded smartphones. Several passengers resisted.
Heavily armed police and emergency services responded to the scene.
Police are still investigating, and have not yet shared further information about the incident.
In May, some 18 peoplewere injuredin a stabbing spree at Hamburg central station by a woman later determined to be mentally ill.
Germany has recorded a new high inIslamophobicincidents, according to a civil society report published Tuesday by the organization Claim.
The "civil society situation report on anti-Muslim racism" documented 3,080 cases of attacks and discrimination in 2024 — a 60% increase from 1,926 cases the previous year. In 2022, there were 898 cases.
On average, more than eight incidents occurred per day. Verbal attacks made up the largest share, with 1,558 cases (nearly 56%). Another 25% were classified as discrimination, and 21% involved demeaning behavior.
The report, supported by Germany's education, family, and interior ministries, also registered an increase in severe offenses. Claim documented two killings and 198 cases of bodily harm, including three attempted killings or serious injuries — up from zero killings and 182 bodily harm cases in 2023.
Of the incidents in 2024, 968 targeted individuals, while 261 involved groups and 72 affected religious institutions, mainly mosques. In 71% of cases where gender was recorded, the victims were women.
According to Claim, anti-Muslim incidentssurged after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel— mirroring a rise in antisemitic incidents.
"This report is shocking," said Rima Hanano, Claim's co-executive director. She described the findings as a "new dimension" and a "warning sign," highlighting a rise not only in the number of incidents but also in the normalization, escalation, and brutality of anti-Muslim racism.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephulhas assured all German nationals in Israel that they will be supported if they wish to leave the country.
"We want to ensure that everyone who decides to leave Israel by land and return to Germany is able to do so," Wadephul told broadcaster Welt TV in response to the latest escalation in the Middle East.
"The situation is dangerous," he added, though he noted that for many, "it may be more reasonable to stay at home."
According to the German government, several thousand German citizens are currently in Israel. The Federal Foreign Office said on Monday that nearly 4,000 people had registered on Germany's crisis preparedness list, Elefand, for Israel.
Wadephul stressed that shelters are available in Israel, but added: "For those who can leave the country, we want to provide appropriate assistance. Whatever we can do for our citizens, we are doing."
He also emphasized concerns for German embassy staff: "I must, of course, also take care of our embassy personnel. We have considerable concerns there as well."
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday that evacuation by air was currently not possible due to the continued closure of airspace over Israel and neighboring countries. Israeli security authorities are also advising against using land routes to exit the country.
Read more on the Israel-Iran conflict in our separate blog.
A memorial ceremony has been held in Berlin to honor the victims of the June 17, 1953, uprising in theformer East Germany.
Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche and Berlin's governing Mayor Kai Wegner paid tribute to the men and women who took to the streets 72 years ago to demand freedom and democracy.
"We commemorate the suffering of the people who wanted nothing more than their freedom in June 1953," Reiche said.
"We remember the courageous women and men who lost their lives," she added. "We remember those who were arrested, accused, beaten, sentenced, who were then discriminated against, shunned and marginalized."
Among those attending were eyewitnesses, victims, and family members of those affected by the uprising, as well as Cornelia Seibeld, President of the Berlin House of Representatives.
A wreath-laying took place at the Seestrasse Cemetery, which hosts the central memorial for the uprising's victims. Eight of the dead were buried there shortly after the rebellion was crushed.
The uprising was sparked by workers' protests against new labor norms imposed by the ruling Socialist Unity Party. In mid-June 1953, over a million people demonstrated across East Germany, calling for democracy, free elections, and national unity.
The protests were violently suppressed by Soviet forces. At least 55 people were killed and around 15,000 arrested.
Germany's commissioner for victims of the formerEast Germanregime, Evelyn Zupke, has urged greater public attention to the consequences of East Germany's state-run doping program.
Presenting her 2025 annual report on Tuesday, Zupke said the fate of affected former athletes — especiallythose who wereminors — has been too often overlooked.
"Our focus is still too often only on the Olympic champions. But the GDR sports system did not just produce medals and world records," she said. "It is also responsible for thousands of people who still suffer from the physical and psychological effects of forced doping."
Zupke emphasized the need to create lasting support structures for those affected. "These victims were exploited and, without their knowledge or that of their parents, sacrificed to the [Socialist Unity Party of Germany] regime's ruthless hunger for medals," she said.
The report states that the doping program often caused long-term and serious health damage. Around 8,000 to 10,000 of the affected former athletes are believed to still be alive today.
German authorities are on the hunt for a feline at large after a video surfaced showing what appears to be a big cat near Lake Geiseltal, in theeastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
A spokeswoman for the Saale district said officials were meeting Tuesday to coordinate the search. The district issued a public warning Monday evening via a mobile app, advising residents that a big cat — likely referring to a tiger, lion, or leopard — had been seen near the lake, southwest of thecity of Leipzig.
The origin of the animal remains unclear, and officials say there is no nearby zoo missing such an animal.
Residents have been urged not to enter local meadows or forests and to avoid approaching the animal under any circumstances.
Authorities have confirmed the authenticity of the video shared on social media, saying it does not appearto befake. The sighting follows a separate incident in northern Germany, where an alleged alligator sighting was debunked as a hoax just a day earlier.
Lake Geiseltal, formed by flooding a former lignite mine, is one of Germany’s largest artificial lakes and a popular local recreation spot.
Organizers of a Pride event in the southern German city of Regensburg have told the German news agency DPA that they are scaling back plans after a threat.
The Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade, originally scheduled for July 5, will now be shortened. Organizers also plan to hold an additional rally on the city’s Domplatz square.
"There was a written threat," said organizer Alexander Irmisch, adding that the safety of participants and security staff must take priority.
CSD refers to Germany's Pride events for theLGBT+ communityand is named after New York’s Christopher Street, the location of the 1969 Stonewall uprising that helped launch the modern gay rights movement.
Pride events in Germany have increasingly faced threats. In May, a CSD in Gelsenkirchen was cancelled just before its scheduled start due to security concerns.
The city administration in Regensburg said the organizers decided to revise the plans independently after consultations with police and city officials.
"Caving in to threats cannot be a permanent solution," Irmisch said. "But for this year, it is important to me that we make it safe."
German PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeierhas expressed shame over rising antisemitism in Germany, warning that it threatens both the country's identity and its democratic values.
"Jews are once again asking themselves whether they are actually safe in the country of the perpetrators of the past," Steinmeier said in a greeting marking the 70th anniversary of the Leo Baeck Institute. "This shames me and makes me angry."
Founded in 1955 by prominent Jewish intellectuals such asHannah Arendt, Martin Buber, Max Grunewald, and Robert Weltsch, the Leo Baeck Institute preserves the German-language Jewish cultural heritage nearly eradicated by the Nazis.
Named after Holocaust survivor Rabbi Leo Baeck, the institute now operates branches in Jerusalem, London, New York, and Berlin, with tens of thousands of works available in its library.
Almost 35 years after reunification, the commissioner for victims of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, which ruledEast Germany, is set to present her annual report on victims of the regime.
Evelyn Zupke's analysis focuses on those who were politically persecuted in the country, some of whom still suffer from health problems today.
It also addresses the long-term management of the party dictatorship and its consequences.
According to previous information, Zupke estimates there was a six-figure number of victims, including 250,000 victims of imprisonment alone and up to 100,000 people who were housed in youth work camps as juveniles.
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Berlin is commemorating the victims of the East German uprising of June 17, 1953, on its 72nd anniversary.
More than a million people took to the streets at the time. They demanded democracy, free elections, and German unity. At least 55 people were killed and 15,000 arrested during the violent crackdown.
In a statement, the German capital's Governing MayorKai Wegnerpaid tribute to the "courageous women and men" who stood up for democracy and freedom in East Berlin andacrossthe former communist republic.
"Democracy and freedom are not a given — they must be defended and experiencedevery day," Wegner said.
"Especially in these times, when our democracy is under threat from many sides, remembrance of the victims of the freedom movement is more important than ever."
Wegner is set to attend a federal memorial ceremony for victims of the crackdown against the uprising, followed by a wreath-laying at the monument marking the site of the historical event.
Guten Tag!Welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Tuesday, June 17.
The German capital is looking back on the 72nd anniversary of the1953 East German uprising,when over a million people hit the streets demanding democracy and unity.
Berlin's governing MayorKai Wegneris set to attend a federal memorial ceremony for victims of the crackdown against the uprising.
At the same time, the country is taking stock of just how deeply the old East German dictatorship is still affecting the lives of victims.
Stay tuned here to keep up with the latest news from Germany.