German of the day: Insolvenz

That means insolvency.

German corporate insolvencies hit 13-year high in first half – The number of corporate insolvencies in Germany rose to a 13-year ​high in the first half of ‌2026 despite signs of a nascent recovery in Europe’s largest economy, figures from the ​federal statistics office showed on Friday.

Local ​courts reported 12,812 corporate insolvency filings from ⁠January to June, an increase of ​6.7% year-on-year, with transportation and warehousing ​the most affected sectors.

A warning for Germany?

I think this warning is coming a little too late.

Warning Systems in Germany Are Being Tested – Can authorities reach and warn the public in an emergency? That will be tested today starting at 11 a.m. as part of the nationwide Warning Day. In the past, gaps in the system have repeatedly come to light.

Across Germany, disaster warning systems will be tested on Thursday morning starting at 11 a.m. On the nationwide Warning Day, the federal government, states, and local authorities will trigger a test alert via various channels—including official warning apps such as Nina and Katwarn, as well as the cell broadcast system for cell phones. The media and electronic display boards will also broadcast warning messages. An all-clear is expected to be issued around 11:45 a.m.

German of the day: “Mir blutet das Herz”

That means “my heart is bleeding.” About the AfD’s big election victory in Saxony-Anhalt.

Says the woman directly responsible for the AfD’s big election victory in Saxony-Anhalt.

It’s the migration, stupid.

Merkel on AfD Victory in Saxony-Anhalt: “My Heart Is Breaking” – Former Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is shocked by the outcome of the election in Saxony-Anhalt. She called the result “a real turning point” in the history of the Federal Republic.

German of the day: Klimaterrorismus

That means climate terrorism.

Allegation: “Climate Terrorism” – Police Release Wanted Photos Following Power Grid Sabotage

There have been attempts at sabotage against the power grid in three federal states. Investigators have already located the vehicle belonging to the alleged author of a letter claiming responsibility. Authorities are searching for the fugitive suspect using two mug shots.

Police are continuing their intensive search for a man suspected of carrying out acts of sabotage against the German power grid. The incidents are concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, and, most recently, Saxony. Lignite is still being mined and used to generate electricity in all three states. In connection with the incidents, police and prosecutors in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia have now issued a joint appeal for information, including two photos of the 48-year-old suspect, and are asking the public for tips.

German politicians can’t figure out why…

Voters keep refusing to vote the way they want them to.

They keep voting right. Which is wrong.

The other Berlin Wall – Germany needs a new strategy for coping with the AfD.

Mainstream parties can’t avoid talking to the hard-right front-runner for ever…

A smattering of German words, such as Blitzkrieg and Schadenfreude, have made their way into other languages. Among the most recent to begin to do so are Zeitenwende (“turning of the times”) and Brandmauer (“firewall”). The first reflects the shift in geopolitical thinking in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the second, mainstream politicians’ determination to isolate extreme parties. However, what was intended to signal that Germans have learned from history has instead plunged their nation into a political crisis.

German VW workers vs. Chinese counterparts

I wonder who wins?

Labor Costs, Sick Leave, Productivity: Confidential Document: VW Compares German and Chinese Workers.

Ten percent of VW workers in Germany are sick at any given time. In China it’s less than two percent.

But at least in China these workers will soon be replaced by robots who will be working 24/7 and never call in sick.

Bake this! – German bureaucracy in action

And no, this isn’t satire.

Row over weight of half a loaf leaves German baker with €15,000 bill – A customer complaint over just 10 grams of missing bread forced the Bavarian baker to install new weighing equipment across his shops.

The punch line: German politicians can’t seem to figure out why companies aren’t willing to invest in Germany anymore.

Uneducated, illiterate cops?

OK. But they should at least be able to speak the language.

Berlin police struggle to find German-speaking recruits – Berlin is struggling to recruit enough police officers because applicants are unable to speak German, according to the force’s president.

Barbara Slowik Meisel revealed that 40 per cent of applicants failed a German language skills test.

Ms Slowik Meisel said the trend, driven by increasing numbers of migrant applications, had created a dilemma for the Berlin police department: it cannot lower its standards but also urgently needs officers.

That’s Waymo than I was expecting

That Germany would allow driverless rides before the year 2060.

Waymo to launch driverless rides in Germany in 2027, entering third market outside U.S. – Alphabet’s Waymo on Tuesday said it plans to roll out robotaxi rides in Germany in 2027, marking its third international market and first in the EU.

Waymo will start “phased” testing in Munich over the next few weeks, with plans to launch to the public at the end of next year, the company said in a blog post. The testing aims to build high-definition street maps, train autonomous specialists and adapt software to the city’s “distinct driving conditions.”

“Unsavoury details”

It’s the little unsavoury details that make a big unsavoury difference.

Germany’s Nord Stream grudge – The looming trial could undermine support for Ukraine…

The first of the Nord Stream criminal trials will start on 26 October in Hamburg. It will expose many unsavoury details. The prosecutors might ask questions such as: who ordered the attacks? What did President Volodymyr Zelensky know? When did he know it? The attack left Germany in a perma-energy crisis.