I got your neighborhood pub for you right here, pal

It’s called my sofa.

As Germans Drink Alone at Home, Community Pubs Are Closing – Skyrocketing prices and stagnating real wages are forcing more and more pubs to shut their doors. The closing of neighborhood pubs means the loss of leisure space, and of the community built around it.

But the truth is this is nothing new. German Kneipen have been dying out for decades.

German of the day: Wenn das Geld alle ist

That means when the money’s gone.

And when the money’s gone, the money’s gone.

Sweden and Germany slash aid budgets to focus on Ukraine and defence spending – Echoing the dismantling of USAID, other countries are changing funding priorities and health and hunger programmes in Africa will lose out.

Germany’s Best Security Barriers

Enjoy these German gems!

Germany’s security barriers are legendary, and for good reason. Security barriers are among many holiday traditions, like Christmas trees and Advent calendars, thought to have originated in Germany. The oldest known security barriers date back to the 15th century in Germany — and today, security barriers modeled after the German version pop up each winter across Europe and even in some U.S. cities. Between the twinkling lights, festive music, handicraft stalls stretching on for miles and mug after steaming mug of gluhwein (mulled wine), you can’t beat the festive atmosphere once you make it past one of these German gems.

Also see Germany’ Best Christmas Markets.

German of the day: Insolvenz

That means bankruptcy.

German business bankruptcies hit decade high amid downturn – Business bankruptcies have climbed to an 11-year high, with small firms hardest hit by Germany’s anemic growth. Economists warn of job losses but see tentative signs that the insolvency wave may be leveling off.

Don’t worry, in other words. Once everybody has gone bankrupt the bankruptcies will stop.

German of the day: Russisches Vermögen

That means Russian assets (frozen assets).

Merz also wants to use Russian assets in Germany.

Brilliant move, Germany. The Russians won’t notice and there won’t be any retaliation.

Can Russia’s assets frozen in the EU be used for Ukraine? Negotiations on this issue are gaining momentum. Germany is also making concessions.

There’s always a first time

Then a second, then a third…

Volkswagen shutters a German plant for first time ever as Trump tariffs squeeze car giant – Volkswagen is ending vehicle production at its Dresden factory — the first time in the automaker’s 88-year history that it has closed a plant in its home country — as weakening demand and punishing US tariffs squeeze the German car giant.

The last vehicle rolled off the line Tuesday at the Dresden site, known as the “Transparent Factory” because of its glass-walled design, capping 24 years of production that began in 2001.

Because Germans are making cars that nobody wants to buy…

And voluntarily killing their number one industry in the process.

That’s why.

Why Germany’s auto capitals face financial crisis – The crisis in Germany’s revered car industry is taking a toll on its wealthiest regions — and hitting the pocketbooks of residents.

Three Moroccans, an Egyptian and a Syrian go to a German Christmas market…

Not. Not this time, at least.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (in Germany), again.

Five arrested over plot to attack German Christmas market – Five men have been arrested in Germany suspected of being involved in a plot to drive a vehicle into people at a Christmas market.

Three Moroccans, an Egyptian and a Syrian were detained on Friday over the plan to target a market in the southern Bavarian state. Authorities said they suspected an “Islamist motive”.

Prosecutors said the Egyptian – a 56-year-old – was alleged to have “called for a vehicle attack… with the aim of killing or injuring as many people as possible”. The Moroccans allegedly agreed to carry out the attack.

But they can’t figure out how borders work

Or that CO2 is plant food.

German adults outperform international peers in complex problem-solving tasks, study finds – Adults in Germany are better than the international average at coping with problems in new and complex situations. However, this adaptive problem-solving skill depends more heavily on sociodemographic characteristics than in other countries. This is shown by a new evaluation of the latest PIAAC study, in which adults in around 30 countries were tested.