https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Getting divorced may come with serious heartbreak, but in Germany it also comes with a bureaucratic headache and substantial costs. https://www.thelocal.de/20260423/how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-divorced-in-germany Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:40:49 +0200 how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-divorced-in-germany If you're invited to a German wedding, you may find some of the customs a bit surprising, if not confusing. So we're here to help. https://www.thelocal.de/20190605/10-things-you-need-to-know-before-attending-a-german-wedding Wed, 05 Jun 2019 15:13:57 +0200 10-things-you-need-to-know-before-attending-a-german-wedding Ehegattensplitting, literally translated as “spouse splitting,” is a German policy which allows married couples to save taxes by dividing their income. Some argue that the policy, in place since the 1950s, should be abolished. https://www.thelocal.de/20210512/ehegattensplitting-how-did-germanys-marriage-tax-law-become-so-controversial Wed, 12 May 2021 20:17:15 +0200 ehegattensplitting-how-did-germanys-marriage-tax-law-become-so-controversial Germany is known for having some of Europe's highest bureaucratic hurdles to marriage, particularly if one partner is not German. We asked internationals to share their experiences of tying the knot. https://www.thelocal.de/20190606/ja-ich-will-internationals-share-what-its-like-to-get-married-in-germany Thu, 06 Jun 2019 18:48:52 +0200 ja-ich-will-internationals-share-what-its-like-to-get-married-in-germany A Catholic hospital was wrong to fire a high-ranking doctor after he got divorced and remarried, Germany's top labour court ruled Wednesday, saying it was unfair to treat him differently from non-Catholic colleagues. https://www.thelocal.de/20190220/catholic-hospital-cannot-fire-remarried-doctor-german-court Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:02:52 +0100 catholic-hospital-cannot-fire-remarried-doctor-german-court Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has been sued by the ex-husband of his future South Korean bride for allegedly having an affair with her while she was still married, a report said Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20180430/fiancees-ex-husband-sues-germanys-schroeder-over-affair Mon, 30 Apr 2018 11:55:05 +0200 fiancees-ex-husband-sues-germanys-schroeder-over-affair Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will marry a South Korean translator 26 years his junior after his fourth marriage fell apart, he said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20180125/ex-chancellor-schroeder-to-tie-the-knot-for-5th-time Thu, 25 Jan 2018 10:30:59 +0100 ex-chancellor-schroeder-to-tie-the-knot-for-5th-time Two men in Berlin became the first same-sex couple to adopt a child in Germany, a human rights association said on Tuesday, cheering another "big step forward" for gay people. https://www.thelocal.de/20171010/gay-couple-in-berlin-first-to-adopt-child-in-germany Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:29:17 +0200 gay-couple-in-berlin-first-to-adopt-child-in-germany A study by YouGov published on Friday gives new insight into the sex lives of Germans. Most are very satisfied with their life between the sheets - and they are more than willing to try out new things. https://www.thelocal.de/20171006/from-robots-to-role-play-study-reveals-german-attitudes-to-sex Fri, 06 Oct 2017 13:29:30 +0200 from-robots-to-role-play-study-reveals-german-attitudes-to-sex Germany celebrates its first gay marriages on Sunday as same-sex unions become legal after decades of struggle, but campaigners say the battle for equal rights isn't over yet. https://www.thelocal.de/20171001/germany-celebrates-first-gay-marriages Sun, 01 Oct 2017 11:03:15 +0200 germany-celebrates-first-gay-marriages Fed up with dealing with loud, intoxicated groups of people, more than a dozen bar owners in Regensburg have started denying entry to bachelor and bachelorette parties. https://www.thelocal.de/20170803/no-stag-parties-allowed-bavarian-bars-crack-down-on-wild-partiers Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:05:54 +0200 no-stag-parties-allowed-bavarian-bars-crack-down-on-wild-partiers Getting married in Germany isn't as simple as eloping and having an Elvis impersonator read out your vows. Here's what you should know as an expat. https://www.thelocal.de/20170725/how-to-marry-a-german-as-an-expat-marriage-weddings Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:00:16 +0200 how-to-marry-a-german-as-an-expat-marriage-weddings A man got much more than just love drunk when he popped the question to his girlfriend. But now he’s enlisting the help of the public to remember how she answered. https://www.thelocal.de/20161006/yes-or-no-man-searches-for-witnesses-of-his-drunken-proposal Thu, 06 Oct 2016 13:07:56 +0200 yes-or-no-man-searches-for-witnesses-of-his-drunken-proposal One in three babies in Germany are born to parents who haven't tied the knot, according to a new report. https://www.thelocal.de/20160715/every-third-german-baby-born-out-of-wedlock Fri, 15 Jul 2016 19:00:53 +0200 every-third-german-baby-born-out-of-wedlock Justice Minister Heiko Maas said this week that he wants to bring an end to the practice of tolerating polygamous marriages among immigrants in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20160614/justice-minister-wants-to-end-toleration-of-polygamy Tue, 14 Jun 2016 16:16:01 +0200 justice-minister-wants-to-end-toleration-of-polygamy Figures released on Thursday showed that fewer couples sought divorce last year and German marriages are lasting longer on average. But what is keeping more bonds from breaking? https://www.thelocal.de/20150723/german-marriages-lasting-longer-fewer-divorces Thu, 23 Jul 2015 19:26:35 +0200 german-marriages-lasting-longer-fewer-divorces The German family structure is changing, with nearly a third of every family no longer living in the "classic model" and big differences in what family looks like in the former East and West, statistics agency Destatis announced on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20141020/single-parents-common-law-families-on-the-rise-microcensus-population Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:48:00 +0200 single-parents-common-law-families-on-the-rise-microcensus-population A quick and uncomplicated conversation between a recently engaged couple concluded that the husband-to-be would take on his fiancee's surname. However, no one was more surprised by people's reactions than Australian expat Liv Hambrett. https://www.thelocal.de/20140822/husband-takes-name-marriage-change-name Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:00:00 +0200 husband-takes-name-marriage-change-name The Local has brought you lists of all shapes and sizes from Germany's richest people to Germans' pet peeves about Brits. Now we have brought them all together in our Local List archive. https://www.thelocal.de/20130130/52329 Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:03:00 +0100 52329 Should schools promote more tolerance in questions of love? Such plans being drawn up have fired a heated debate. The Tagesspiegel's Malte Lehming argues acceptance of sexual diversity can be problematic. https://www.thelocal.de/20140114/what-happens-when-everything-goes-germany Tue, 14 Jan 2014 10:44:00 +0100 what-happens-when-everything-goes-germany