{"id":13213,"date":"2026-01-06T23:19:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paddys.de\/?p=13213"},"modified":"2026-01-17T19:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T18:49:15","slug":"die-hand-weggesprengt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paddys.de\/en\/die-hand-weggesprengt\/","title":{"rendered":"Blown off his hand"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time<\/span> 25<\/span> Minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

<\/span>Blown off his hand<\/span><\/h1>\n

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New Year's Eve 2025\/26: When Germany failed again - eleven dead, hundreds injured, one crossbow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler: It's got worse. Not a joke. Deadly serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The balance of horror: New Year's Eve 2025 to 2026<\/strong>
While the pyrotechnics industry celebrates record sales - 197 million euros in the previous year, 200 to 225 million are expected for 2025\/261<\/a><\/sup> Statista: How much do Germans spend on fireworks? \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/de.statista.com\/infografik\/16420\/silvesterumsatz-mit-feuerwerk-in-deutschland\/<\/a> <\/span> 2<\/a><\/sup> Deutsche Welle: 43 per cent of Germans would like to ban fireworks \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.dw.com\/de\/silvester-43-prozent-der-deutschen-m%C3%B6chten-feuerwerk-verbieten\/a-75333541<\/a> <\/span> - we lost at least eleven people in that one night.3<\/a><\/sup> Stern: New Year's Eve balance sheet - Eleven people die around the turn of the year \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/weltgeschehen\/silvester-bilanz–elf-menschen-sterben-rund-um-den-jahreswechsel-37003950.html<\/a> <\/span>4<\/a><\/sup> BILD: Deadly New Year - The whole sad balance of this New Year's Eve \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.bild.de\/news\/inland\/toedliches-neues-jahr-die-ganze-traurige-bilanz-dieser-silvesternacht-69567917f5d9cfcb415a3f1b<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Bloody handprints, white background. Red. - nikename<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Two 18-year-olds in Bielefeld - with their whole lives ahead of them - die from self-made pyrotechnics. Both suffer fatal facial injuries.5<\/a><\/sup> Tagesschau: New Year's Eve in Germany - deaths and injuries in accidents \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.tagesschau.de\/inland\/silvester-2026-102.html<\/a> <\/span>6<\/a><\/sup> web.de: Dead and injured on New Year's Eve in Germany \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/web.de\/magazine\/panorama\/tote-verletzte-silvesternacht-deutschland-41740710<\/a> <\/span> A 70-year-old woman in Bochum dies in an explosion in her flat - firecrackers, illegal, fatal.7<\/a><\/sup> web.de: Dead and injured on New Year's Eve in Germany \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/web.de\/magazine\/panorama\/tote-verletzte-silvesternacht-deutschland-41740710 <\/a><\/span> A five-year-old in Lohne runs into the street shortly after midnight, is hit by a car and dies hours later in hospital. 8<\/a><\/sup> Presseportal\/Polizeiinspektion Cloppenburg\/Vechta: Press release from 01 January 2026 - Traffic accident with fatally injured child \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.presseportal.de\/blaulicht\/pm\/70090\/6188556<\/a> <\/span>9<\/a><\/sup> OM Online: 5-year-old dies after serious accident in Lohne \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.om-online.de\/om\/5-jaehriger-stirbt-nach-schwerem-unfall-in-lohne-860925 <\/a><\/span> While rescue workers desperately try to save him, rubberneckers photograph the scene of the accident. 10<\/a><\/sup> T-Online: Accident in Lohne - rubberneckers film dying five-year-old child \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.t-online.de\/nachrichten\/panorama\/kriminalitaet\/id_101064424\/unfall-in-lohne-gaffer-filmen-sterbendes-fuenfjaehriges-kind.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three people burn to death in their homes in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg because rockets start fires.11<\/a><\/sup> SWR: New Year's Eve balance sheet - Three fatalities in fires \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.swr.de\/swraktuell\/baden-wuerttemberg\/bilanz-silvester-2026-braende-einsaetze-polizei-100.html<\/a> <\/span> A 67-year-old man dies in a violent confrontation on a railway platform - homicide, homicide squad investigating.12<\/a><\/sup> Stern: New Year's Eve balance sheet - Eleven people die around the turn of the year \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/weltgeschehen\/silvester-bilanz–elf-menschen-sterben-rund-um-den-jahreswechsel-37003950.html<\/a> <\/span> Two people die in a stabbing.13<\/a><\/sup> Stern: New Year's Eve balance sheet - Eleven people die around the turn of the year \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/weltgeschehen\/silvester-bilanz–elf-menschen-sterben-rund-um-den-jahreswechsel-37003950.html <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Fire on the balcony of a multi-storey apartment building, black clouds of smoke, smoke from the flat (symbolic image). - Aleksey Matrenin<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>When children lose their hands<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>The mutilated<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


The Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin alone reported 25 patients with hand injuries, some of them very serious - amputations of fingers or parts of the hand were necessary.14<\/a><\/sup> Stern: New Year's Eve balance sheet - 400 arrests in Berlin, two dead in Bielefeld \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/weltgeschehen\/silvester-bilanz–400-festnahmen-in-berlin—zwei-tote-in-bielefeld-37003358.html<\/a> <\/span> And now comes the sentence that tears at your heart: \u201eBut what's particularly bad is that there are eight more children whose lives have been changed forever by these serious injuries.\u201c15<\/a><\/sup> Stern: New Year's Eve balance sheet - 400 arrests in Berlin, two dead in Bielefeld \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/weltgeschehen\/silvester-bilanz–400-festnahmen-in-berlin—zwei-tote-in-bielefeld-37003358.html <\/a><\/span>16<\/a><\/sup> web.de: Dead and injured on New Year's Eve in Germany \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/web.de\/magazine\/panorama\/tote-verletzte-silvesternacht-deutschland-41740710<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17. Eight young people who will never fully regain their grip, who will never be able to play sport without worrying, who will never forget what their hand looked like before it exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Close-up of the victim's bloody hand. - gorodenkoff<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In Merseburg, a 28-year-old man tries to light two firecrackers at the same time - fireworks class 4, only authorised for commercial use. Both explode in his hands.17<\/a><\/sup> web.de: Dead and injured on New Year's Eve in Germany \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/web.de\/magazine\/panorama\/tote-verletzte-silvesternacht-deutschland-41740710<\/a> <\/span> In Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, a 42-year-old man loses three fingers in a fireworks explosion.18<\/a><\/sup> SWR: New Year's Eve balance sheet - Three fatalities in fires \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.swr.de\/swraktuell\/baden-wuerttemberg\/bilanz-silvester-2026-braende-einsaetze-polizei-100.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Fireworks, firecrackers, environmental pollution, risk of injury, rubbish. - Hi<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>Crossbow, firecrackers, rockets:<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>When helpers become a target<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fischbachau, Upper Bavaria, 3 o'clock in the morning.<\/strong> Paramedics find a man lying in front of a house. They want to help. He threatens them with a loaded crossbow. They retreat and call the police. The man barricades himself in the house. Two hours of negotiations. Then the SEK intervenes. They shoot. The 33-year-old is hit in the torso and survives seriously injured.19<\/a><\/sup> Stern: Special forces shoot at man with crossbow \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.stern.de\/news\/einsatz-in-silvesternacht-in-bayern–spezialkraefte-schiessen-auf-mann-mit-armbrust-37003790.html<\/a> <\/span>20<\/a><\/sup> Bavarian police: 33-year-old man critically injured \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.polizei.bayern.de\/aktuelles\/pressemitteilungen\/096148\/index.html <\/a><\/span>21<\/a><\/sup> Morgenpost: New Year's Eve balance - Attacks with crossbows and fireworks on emergency services \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.morgenpost.de\/politik\/article410825913\/verrohung-angriffe-mit-armbrust-und-feuerwerk-auf-einsatzkraefte.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>This is not an isolated case.<\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In Berlin, 35 police officers are injured, two so seriously that they have to be hospitalised. 21 suffered blast trauma - permanent hearing damage caused by firecrackers.22<\/a><\/sup> ZDF: New Year's Eve - riots and fatal pyro accidents \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.zdfheute.de\/panorama\/silvester-festnahmen-berlin-polizei-100.html<\/a> <\/span>23<\/a><\/sup> taz: Attacks on emergency services on New Year's Eve - calls for a short trial \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/taz.de\/Angriffe-auf-Einsatzkraefte-an-Silvester\/!6142184\/<\/a> <\/span> 430 people are arrested.24<\/a><\/sup> Deutschlandfunk: More than 400 arrests in Berlin - two dead in accidents involving pyrotechnics \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.deutschlandfunk.de\/mehr-als-400-festnahmen-in-berlin-zwei-tote-bei-unfaellen-mit-pyrotechnik-100.html <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Police cars parked on the street in Berlin. - Reinhard Krull<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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At a left-wing demonstration \u201eNew Year's Eve in prison\u201c in Berlin-Moabit, around 200 participants attack the police \u201emassively with pyrotechnics\u201c. Eight police officers were injured.25<\/a><\/sup> Berlin police: balance sheet of police measures at the turn of the year 2025\/2026 \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.berlin.de\/polizei\/polizeimeldungen\/2026\/pressemitteilung.1629630.php <\/a><\/span> In Hamburg, my second adopted home, ten police officers are so seriously injured that they are unable to continue their duties.26<\/a><\/sup> web.de: Dead and injured on New Year's Eve in Germany \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/web.de\/magazine\/panorama\/tote-verletzte-silvesternacht-deutschland-41740710<\/a> <\/span> In Frankfurt am Main, the city where we grew up before we - me, unfortunately, terminally - moved to Bavaria, an ambulance is attacked and a member of the German Red Cross is injured.27<\/a><\/sup> Morgenpost: New Year's Eve balance - Attacks with crossbows and fireworks on emergency services \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.morgenpost.de\/politik\/article410825913\/verrohung-angriffe-mit-armbrust-und-feuerwerk-auf-einsatzkraefte.html<\/a> <\/span> That really is the last straw. What kind of arseholes do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Record year for the pyro industry, disaster year for the rest<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n


And while all this is happening - while children lose their fingers, while rescue workers are threatened with crossbows, while eleven people die - the fireworks industry is celebrating. The Association of the Pyrotechnic Industry (VPI) proudly announces: 197 million euros in sales at the turn of the year 2024\/25 - a historic record.28<\/a><\/sup> Statista: How much do Germans spend on fireworks? \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/de.statista.com\/infografik\/16420\/silvesterumsatz-mit-feuerwerk-in-deutschland\/<\/a> <\/span> Even higher figures are expected for 2025\/26. 29<\/a><\/sup> Berliner Zeitung: New Year's Eve 2025 - A quarter of a billion euros for firecrackers? \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.berliner-zeitung.de\/panorama\/raetsel-und-raketen-die-berliner-und-ihre-leidenschaft-fuer-silvesterchaos-li.10012017<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

VPI President Thomas Schreiber: \u201eWe are delighted about this great demand, as it proves that for many people New Year's Eve and fireworks are inextricably linked and the tradition is cherished.\u201c30<\/a><\/sup> Statista: How much do Germans spend on fireworks? \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/de.statista.com\/infografik\/16420\/silvesterumsatz-mit-feuerwerk-in-deutschland\/ <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Panoramic view of the city centre of Hamburg with fireworks, from the Alster to the Hamburg City Hall and the fountain in the middle of the lake. Frederick Doerschem<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>\u201eTradition.\u201c <\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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The word burns itself into your mind as you see the pictures: Children without fingers. Burnt flats. Police officers with blast trauma. A five-year-old in a coffin. The corks are popping at the pyrotechnics industry association.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Infografik:<\/a> You can find more infographics at Statista<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illustration: How much do Germans spend on fireworks? | Statista. Editorial use. - With the kind permission of Statista<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Why we finally need to break with New Year's Eve fireworks<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>When the hand explodes <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


It's 11:47 pm on 31 December. While you're perhaps thinking about which champagne you're about to open, Bina - a German shepherd dog from animal welfare - sits trembling in the bathroom. Her heart is racing. Her pupils are dilated. She is panting. It's been banging outside for hours. Bina is scared to death. And she's not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image: Screenshot Robert Marc Lehmann - Mission Earth<\/a> YouTube appearance \u201eWhy we should stop shooting firecrackers... #nomorefireworks<\/a><\/strong>\u201c Available online at https:\/\/youtu.be\/_nE3AqbBe-U<\/a> retrieved on 5 January 2025. editorial use. 31<\/a><\/sup> Robert Marc Lehmann - Mission Earth<\/a> YouTube appearance \u201eWhy we should stop shooting firecrackers... #nomorefireworks<\/a><\/strong>\u201c Available online at https:\/\/youtu.be\/_nE3AqbBe-U<\/a> retrieved on 5.1.2025. Editorial use. \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_nE3AqbBe-U<\/a> <\/span><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Robert Marc Lehmann, marine biologist and animal rights activist, has described exactly this scene in his powerful video.32<\/a><\/sup> YouTube: Robert Marc Lehmann - Why we shouldn't shoot firecrackers anymore #nomorefireworks \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_nE3AqbBe-U <\/a><\/span> \u201eYoung people threw firecrackers at Bina,\u201c he says. \u201eSince then, she's been really pre-stressed.\u201c On New Year's Eve, he brings his three dogs into the innermost room without windows, plays classical music and stays calm himself - \u201ebecause they realise when I'm restless\u201c. Three days before to one day after New Year's Eve: no walks without a lead. The risk of the dogs running away in panic is too great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we are spending 200 million euros on is forcing people to lock up their animals for days, to book hotels at the airport because there is a strict ban on firecrackers at the airport, to run tractors at full throttle to save cows from going mad. Eleven people are dead. Hundreds injured and hundreds arrested. Thousands of animals in panic. And we call it \u201etradition\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>The air to cut<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Particulate matter, heavy metals, poison<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


Imagine you're standing in the centre of Leipzig, Hamburg or Berlin on New Year's Eve. You can hardly breathe. The smoke burns your eyes, your lungs. The air smells of sulphur and burnt plastic. What you inhale is not harmless \u201efog\u201c - it is a toxic cocktail of fine dust, heavy metals and chemicals. 33<\/a><\/sup> Federal Environment Agency: Particulate matter from New Year's Eve fireworks \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Germany, around 2,050 tonnes of particulate matter (PM10) are released every year from fireworks alone - the majority of this in just a few hours around midnight.34<\/a><\/sup> Federal Environment Agency: 2,050 tonnes of particulate matter from fireworks per year \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/presse\/pressemitteilungen\/2050-tonnen-feinstaub-durch-feuerwerk-pro-jahr <\/a><\/span> In many cities, particulate matter levels shoot up to over 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre on New Year's Eve - while the average annual mean value is around 15 micrograms.35<\/a><\/sup> Tagesschau Faktenfinder: From injuries to particulate matter - what are the consequences of fireworks? \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.tagesschau.de\/faktenfinder\/kontext\/silvester-boellern-auswirkungen-102.html <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure: Daily average of particulate matter concentration (PM10) - New Year 2024<\/strong>, Source: Federal Environment Agency. Editorial use. Available online at https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> Retrieved 5 January 202636<\/a><\/sup> Daily average of particulate matter concentration (PM10) - New Year 2024<\/strong>, Source: Federal Environment Agency. Editorial use. Available online at https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> \u00a0Retrieved 5 January 2026 \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> <\/span><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Figure: Daily average of particulate matter concentration (PM10) - New Year 2025<\/strong>, Source: Federal Environment Agency. Editorial use. Available online at https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> Retrieved 5 January 202637<\/a><\/sup> Daily average of particulate matter concentration (PM10) - New Year 2025<\/strong>, Source: Federal Environment Agency. Editorial use. Available online at https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> \u00a0Retrieved 5 January 2026 \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/themen\/luft\/luftschadstoffe\/feinstaub\/feinstaub-durch-silvesterfeuerwerk<\/a> <\/span><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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These are tiny particles that penetrate deep into your lungs, promote inflammation and can be life-threatening, especially for asthmatics, children, the elderly and anyone with pre-existing conditions.38<\/a><\/sup> Federal Environment Agency: New Year's Eve fireworks - impact on people and the environment \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/publikationen\/silvesterfeuerwerk-einfluss-auf-mensch-umwelt <\/a><\/span> In addition, heavy metals such as barium, strontium and aluminium are released into the soil and water as dust after burning.39<\/a><\/sup> VerbraucherService Bayern: Celebrating without particulate matter - new ways for a more sustainable New Year's Eve \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.verbraucherservice-bayern.de\/themen\/umwelt\/feiern-ohne-feinstaub-neue-wege-fuer-ein-nachhaltigeres-silvester<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: On the one hand, fantastically beautiful pink stardust fireworks, but on the other: Particulate matter<\/strong>- and carbon dioxide pollution from New Year's Eve fireworks. Climate change caused by air pollution harms the environment. - In Stock<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>Wild animals in the fight for survival<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now imagine you're a wild goose. Yes, I know, stupid comparison. Just for a moment. You've just settled down on a body of water to rest for the night. You've been foraging for food during the day, your energy reserves are low - it's winter, every calorie counts. And then: explosion. Flashes of light. Smoke. Noise. Panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies by the Max Planck Society show that Wild geese <\/strong>leave their roosting waters on New Year's Eve and fly 5 to 16 kilometres further than usual. In one extreme case, an extra 500 kilometres were documented. The birds fly significantly higher than normal - and use up enormous reserves of energy. In the first ten days after New Year's Eve, the animals have to spend around 10 per cent more time looking for food to compensate for this loss of energy. 40<\/a><\/sup> GEO: Scientifically investigated - The impact of New Year's Eve fireworks on wild animals \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.geo.de\/natur\/tierwelt\/wissenschaftlich-untersucht–so-stark-belastet-wildtiere-das-silvesterfeuerwerk-36974880.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apparently, it is not only the noise but also the particulate matter that is causing the animals problems. In all the areas studied, particulate matter levels rose by up to 650 per cent on New Year's Eve. Researchers found that birds left their usual roosting areas and chose places that were further away from human settlements and had lower concentrations of particulate matter. 41<\/a><\/sup> GEO: Scientifically investigated - The impact of New Year's Eve fireworks on wild animals \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.geo.de\/natur\/tierwelt\/wissenschaftlich-untersucht–so-stark-belastet-wildtiere-das-silvesterfeuerwerk-36974880.html <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eNew Year's Eve is a disaster for animals,\u201c says Klaus Hackl\u00e4nder, CEO of the German Wildlife Foundation. After every New Year's Eve, there are dead birds lying around that have flown into walls in panic. In the Alps Chamois <\/strong>from rocks when fireworks were set off at mountain huts. 42<\/a><\/sup> Stern: Deadly tradition - New Year's Eve fireworks make animals suffer \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/wissen\/feuerwerk–toedliche-tradition–silvester-boellerei-laesst-tiere-leiden-36999820.html <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Alps near Innsbruck, Austria. Chamois jumping to its certain death after being startled by a man's firecracker at the mountain hut. Important note: Do not copy at home. <\/strong>The stains will never come out. We only worked with professionals for this photo. Stunt gambler Hans Lanz has certainly completed hundreds of such jumps safely. The agency tells us that Hans jumped to his certain death shortly after our shoot. That was his last jump, that's for sure. - Rudi Reiner<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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There are no exact figures on how many wild animals die on New Year's Eve. The actual extent is probably far greater: many animals live on the back burner in winter - hibernators such as hedgehogs, but also songbirds and deer, which do not move any more than necessary. A great tit loses around 10 per cent of its body weight in a normal night. If it is repeatedly startled by firecrackers over a period of days and has little time to forage, this can be fatal. 43<\/a><\/sup> Stern: Deadly tradition - New Year's Eve fireworks make animals suffer \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/wissen\/feuerwerk–toedliche-tradition–silvester-boellerei-laesst-tiere-leiden-36999820.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larger animals also suffer: Hedgehogs wake up from hibernation, deer and wild boar flee - both of which use up valuable winter fat reserves. As the first milk for fawns in May is often fed from these fat reserves, the stress at the turn of the year can mean poorer chances of survival for the offspring in spring. 44<\/a><\/sup> Stern: Deadly tradition - New Year's Eve fireworks make animals suffer \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.stern.de\/panorama\/wissen\/feuerwerk–toedliche-tradition–silvester-boellerei-laesst-tiere-leiden-36999820.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Pets between the bathroom and the airport:<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>The invisible panic<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


428 dogs escaped in Germany on New Year's Eve 2024\/25 alone - reported to the pet register Tasso. That's more than five times as many as on an average day (79 dogs).45<\/a><\/sup> A heart for animals: sad results on New Year's Eve - 428 dogs escaped \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/herz-fuer-tiere.de\/haustiere\/traurige-bilanz-an-silvester-428-hunde-entlaufen<\/a> <\/span> In 2022\/23, when \u201eeverything was allowed\u201c again after the coronavirus lockdowns, 667 dogs and 500 cats escaped on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.46<\/a><\/sup> Tasso: Sad record - Well over 1,000 animals escaped on New Year's Eve \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.tasso.net\/Presse\/Pressemitteilungen\/2023\/Trauriger-Rekord<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most unsafe city for dogs? Berlin, with 493 registered cases in the last four years. Followed by Hamburg (211), Frankfurt am Main (138), Leipzig (112) and Cologne (110). 47<\/a><\/sup> Press portal: New Year's Eve shock for pets - Berlin is Germany's most dangerous place for dogs (Dogorama analysis) \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.presseportal.de\/pm\/136483\/6179186<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And these are just the reported cases. Nobody knows how many dogs and cats break free in panic, run through the streets, run in front of cars, flee into untraceable hiding places or spend days trembling somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Animal Welfare Association's tally for the turn of the year 2022\/23: 212 dead and 17 injured animals, including both wild and domestic animals.48<\/a><\/sup> German Animal Welfare Association: How to protect animals on New Year's Eve \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.tierschutzbund.de\/tiere-themen\/tierschutz-im-alltag\/tiere-an-silvester\/<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some holders*i<\/em>nnen rent hotels at the airport because fireworks are banned there. Over 100 pet owners were expected in Leipzig-Halle at the turn of the year 2025\/26 - with dogs and cats, in noise-protected rooms. \u201eThey went for walks and met new friends,\u201c says the hotel manager. Water, small gifts for each dog - and above all: peace and quiet. 49<\/a><\/sup> Tagesschau: Stress from New Year's Eve fireworks for animals \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QmPP_C-_css<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Farm animals in the barn:<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>When panic becomes a danger to life<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


A horse in Euskirchen falls into a well shaft almost three metres deep because it backs away from a firecracker. Several rescue attempts are necessary before the 300-kilo animal is successfully rescued with a wheel loader. It was lucky: apart from minor injuries, it remained unharmed. 50<\/a><\/sup> WDR aktuell: Animals on New Year's Eve - Horse falls into well because of New Year's Eve firecrackers \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O8rgoKxkKtE<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A farmer from Aachen reports how his cows galloped through the barn in panic, \u201eflying across the floor around the corner\u201c. \u201eThe animals panicked and I could shout and scream calmly, but then it's no use.\u201c In the worst case: broken bones. And for farm animals, that means euthanising them. 51<\/a><\/sup> WDR Lokalzeit Land.Schafft..: No more New Year's Eve panic in animals - two strategies \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CHP4n48GJo4<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A horse farmer from Cologne explains: \u201eYou can already see that they react by moving. It can happen that they injure themselves more seriously, that they kick each other. In the worst case scenario, they could go through the fences.\u201c52<\/a><\/sup> WDR Lokalzeit Land.Schafft..: No more New Year's Eve panic in animals - two strategies \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CHP4n48GJo4<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farmers\u201e solutions? The Aachen farmer grows hedges and strategically places bales of straw to block the view. And two tractors at full throttle - for an hour, as \u201ccounter-noise\u201e, so that the cows don't notice the fireworks. The horse farmer takes all the horses to the largest pasture so that they \u201chave space to run off the stress\".53<\/a><\/sup> WDR Lokalzeit Land.Schafft..: No more New Year's Eve panic in animals - two strategies \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CHP4n48GJo4 <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we don't do to protect our animals from what we wouldn't want to do without at any price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Fireworks banned at Hellabrunn Zoo for the first time<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Munich shows responsibility:<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


At the turn of the year 2025\/26, the city of Munich issued a ban on fireworks in the immediate vicinity of Hellabrunn Zoo for the first time. No fireworks may be set off within a radius of around 150 metres. 54<\/a><\/sup> City of Munich: Fireworks ban at the Tierpark at the turn of the year 2025\/2026 \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/ru.muenchen.de\/2025\/236\/Feuerwerksverbot-am-Tierpark-zum-Jahreswechsel-2025-2026-121914<\/a> <\/span>55<\/a><\/sup> S\u00fcddeutsche Zeitung: City prohibits New Year's Eve fireworks at the zoo \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.sueddeutsche.de\/muenchen\/muenchen-silvester-feuerwerk-verbot-tierpark-hellabrunn-li.3351608<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter: \u201eFireworks and rockets are banned around Hellabrunn Zoo this year - good news for all animal lovers and an important step for animal welfare.\u201c56<\/a><\/sup> City of Munich: Fireworks ban at the Tierpark at the turn of the year 2025\/2026 \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/ru.muenchen.de\/2025\/236\/Feuerwerksverbot-am-Tierpark-zum-Jahreswechsel-2025-2026-121914<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Illustration: Article \u201eFireworks ban at the zoo at the turn of the year 2025\/2026<\/strong>\u201c in: Rathaus Umschau from 10.12.2025 (issue 236) Available online at
https:\/\/ru.muenchen.de\/2025\/236\/Feuerwerksverbot-am-Tierpark-zum-Jahreswechsel-2025-2026-121914<\/a> retrieved on 5.1.2025. Editorial use 57<\/a><\/sup> Article \u201eFireworks ban at the zoo at the turn of the year 2025\/2026<\/strong>\u201c in: Rathaus Umschau from 10.12.2025 (issue 236) Available online at
https:\/\/ru.muenchen.de\/2025\/236\/Feuerwerksverbot-am-Tierpark-zum-Jahreswechsel-2025-2026-121914<\/a> retrieved on 5.1.2025. Editorial use \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/ru.muenchen.de\/2025\/236\/Feuerwerksverbot-am-Tierpark-zum-Jahreswechsel-2025-2026-121914<\/a> <\/span><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Hellabrunn Zoo plays an important role in international breeding and conservation programmes. Zoo Director Dr Rasem Baban: \u201eThe new fireworks ban zone will save our animal inhabitants, some of whom are extremely sensitive to noise, a considerable amount of unnecessary stress and nocturnal disturbance.\u201c58<\/a><\/sup> S\u00fcddeutsche Zeitung: City prohibits New Year's Eve fireworks at the zoo \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.sueddeutsche.de\/muenchen\/muenchen-silvester-feuerwerk-verbot-tierpark-hellabrunn-li.3351608 <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Despite the ban, on New Year's Eve all animals that can normally move between indoor and outdoor areas at night are housed exclusively in the protected indoor areas. 59<\/a><\/sup> Tierpark Hellabrunn: Hellabrunn Zoo asks you to refrain from using fireworks in the vicinity of the zoo \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.hellabrunn.de\/newsdetailseite\/hellabrunn-bittet-um-verzicht-auf-feuerwerk-im-umkreis-des-tierparks<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My adopted home of Munich shows that there is another way. And it's long overdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Refugees and people traumatised by war:<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>War in your head instead of a party in the sky<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


For many refugees from war zones, loud explosions, bright lights and sirens are not an abstract soundscape, but the physically memorised sound of bombing, flight and fear of death. 60<\/a><\/sup> taz: New Year's Eve - \u201eFear must not be smiled at\u201c \ud83c\udf10https:\/\/taz.de\/Silvester\/!5260795\/<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychiatrists report that fireworks can trigger flashbacks, panic attacks, sleep disorders and massive stress reactions in traumatised people.61<\/a><\/sup> taz: New Year's Eve - \u201eFear must not be smiled at\u201c \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/taz.de\/Silvester\/!5260795\/ <\/a><\/span> A report on New Year's Eve fireworks and war veterans describes how loud bangs unpredictably trigger memories of combat missions and mentally catapult those affected back into combat zones in a fraction of a second - with all the physical symptoms that entails.62<\/a><\/sup> KOSMO: Trauma instead of a party - when firecrackers awaken war memories \ud83c\udf10 https:\/\/www.kosmo.at\/trauma-statt-party-wenn-boeller-kriegserinnerungen-wecken\/ <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world where wars are once again in the news every day and millions of people are fleeing from bombs, the idea that we are \u201ecelebrating\u201c with explosion-like noises in narrow streets, of all things, seems like a cynical anachronism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure: Vector illustration (comic) of armies on the battlefield. - Ashva73<\/a> \/ iStock by GettyImages<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201eWe've always done it this way!\u201c - Really? Let's take a look at the story:<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>\u201eTradition\u201c?
An economic miracle product of the 1960s<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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