07/26/2025July 26, 2025Police rescue injured seal from Hamburg river bank
An injured seal, weighing over 100 kilograms, has been rescued from the banks of the Elbe River in Germany’s northern city of Hamburg.
The marine mammal was discovered late Friday evening by witnesses who alerted authorities.
According to a fire brigade spokesman, the seal had a minor injury to its fin.
Rescuers initially planned to transfer the seal to an animal shelter, but it was already full. The animal was then taken to a local wildlife caretaker.
Seals are typically found in coastal areas like the North Sea or Wadden Sea, which are over 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Hamburg.
The Elbe River is a freshwater environment far inland, not their natural habitat.
Navigating the river to Hamburg, seals must travel through strong currents, locks, and human-made obstacles.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y430
07/26/2025July 26, 2025Merz, Merkel join launch of festival of Richard Wagner operas
Germany’s renowned Bayreuth Festival of operas by Richard Wagner kicked off on Friday with a new production of “The Master-Singers of Nuremberg.”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and former Chancellor Angela Merkel graced the red carpet for opening night, with both political figures reported to be great admirers of Wagner’s music.
Accompanied by his wife Charlotte, Merz described the evening as a “great production” featuring fantastic stage design and wonderful performers.
The chancellor also used the occasion to reaffirm his commitment to the arts in Germany, emphasizing that this includes not only theatre, music and opera but also architecture and modern art.
“We will defend this against all those who want it to be different,” Merz said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y42x
07/26/2025July 26, 2025Berlin readies major police operation for Pride parade
Hundreds of thousands are expected in Germany’s capital on Saturday to celebrate Berlin Pride or Christopher Street Day (CSD).
A huge parade featuring 80 trucks is expected to pass through the city, starting at Leipziger Platz, then heading to Potsdamer Platz and Schöneberg, before ending at the Brandenburg Gate.
The German Police Union (GdP) said Berlin authorities would mount a huge operation to protect the parade in the wake of several car ramming and terrorist attacks and due to the LGBTQ+ community being targeted by far-right extremists.
Around 1,300 Berlin police officers will be deployed, supported by hundreds more from other German states.
Two counterdemonstrations with an expected 400 participants have also been registered with the Berlin authorities.
The Pride celebrations began on Friday with the unfurling of a massive rainbow flag outside the Reichstag building — the home of Germany’s parliament.
CSD organizers decided to display their own flag after the government rejected a request to hoist an official rainbow flag.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended the decision, saying, “The Bundestag is not a circus tent,” referring to Germany’s lower house of parliament.
Christopher Street Day is a reference to the location of the Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood, where a protest against police discrimination in 1969 kick-started the gay liberation movement.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y42h
Guten Morgen! Welcome to DW’s coverage of the latest developments in Germany on Saturday, July 26.
Here you’ll find breaking news, business, culture and sports as well as commentary from DW’s team of correspondents.
Berlin hosts one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ Pride events, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to turn out for a glitzy parade through the streets of the German capital.
The Bayreuth Festival, an annual summer music festival dedicated primarily to the operas of Richard Wagner, got underway on Friday night.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y480