3 min read

The changing of the clocks in Germany

Every year, there is one week, where I really regret living in Bavaria – and not somewhere in northern Germany.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my home! My wonderful friends, the beautiful nature around us, the proximity to Munich – a city that’s very close to my heart... But still, there’s one tiny downside to living in Bavaria.

And that becomes clear every October.

When do the clocks change in Germany?

Central European Summer Time begins on the last Sunday in March at 2:00 a.m. That’s when the clocks are moved forward from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.

Changing of the clocks - Daylight Saving time

It ends on the last Sunday in October at 3:00 a.m., when the clocks are moved back to 2:00 a.m. – welcome, winter time!

Here are the upcoming dates:

October 27, 2024 – Wintertime begins
March 30, 2025 – Daylight saving time begins
October 26, 2025 – Wintertime begins
March 29, 2026 – Daylight saving time begins
October 25, 2026 – Wintertime begins

Why do we have the time change?

The origin of the time change goes back to World War I. On April 30, 1916, the German Empire decided to move the clocks forward by one hour. The reason? To make better use of daylight.

In spring, the intensity of sunlight changes. The days get longer, and the sun rises earlier and sets later. By changing the clocks, people would wake up earlier and go to bed earlier as well. The goal was to use less electric light and energy in the evening. However, the real reason behind it was the war economy – the aim was to save energy for weapons production, not for households.

That’s how daylight saving time (die Sommerzeit) was introduced. The “normal” time was then called winter time.

The idea quickly spread – to other European countries, Russia, and the USA.

After the war, there were various rules in different countries over the following decades.

It wasn’t until 1996 that the time change was unified across the European Union.

Will the time change be abolished soon?

In March 2019, the European Parliament voted to abolish the twice-yearly time change starting in 2021. In an EU-wide survey, 84% of respondents were in favor of this. The desire to abolish it was especially strong in Germany: of the 4.6 million participants in the survey, 3 million were from Germany.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the then-President of the European Commission, said: “People want this, so let’s do it.” However, the individual EU member states still need to agree on whether to keep permanent summer or winter time. To this day, no decision has been made.

Why do many people want to get rid of the time change?

The time change is a burden for many people. According to a survey by the health insurance company DAK, 76% of Germans suffer from physical or psychological complaints after the time change. These include fatigue, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating. One in ten even reports feeling depressed.

Woman feels tired becuase of the changing of the clocks

And why do I wish I lived in northern Germany?

It’s because of the autumn holidays. In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the time change always happens at the start of the autumn break. That sounds practical at first – but what’s the point of sleeping in when you already have time off?