It\u2019s back-to-school season in Germany! As pupils return to the classroom and politicians return to the Bundestag, here are the changes we can all expect in the coming weeks:<\/p>\n
1. Bundestag will return from summer recess<\/p>\n
On September 10, members of the German Bundestag<\/a> will return from their summer break. The first topic on the agenda will be a draft law to implement the EU\u2019s new battery regulations, which aim to unify battery production and disposal across the bloc.<\/p>\n In the afternoon, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) will take questions from government deputies.<\/p>\n 2. Stronger data protection rules for networked devices<\/p>\n \u201cSmart devices\u201d, home appliances that are connected to the internet<\/a>, such as smart TVs, robot vacuums, smart home heating systems, or fitness trackers, collect vast amounts of data about their users. From September 12, smart device users in Germany<\/a> will be entitled to more information about the data companies collect about them.<\/p>\n Smart appliances typically collect data about the times of day you perform certain activities, the duration of these activities, your voice, the advertisements you click on and those you don\u2019t, your location, your heart rate, your sleep cycle, your menstrual cycle, and much more.<\/p>\n This personal information is brought together as a \u201cdata package\u201d and is sold by data brokers to advertisers, researchers, banks, insurance companies, healthcare companies, and, according to a New York Times report<\/a>, \u201calmost anyone willing to pay\u201d.\u00a0 The legislation coming in September is part of the EU\u2019s new Data Protection Act.<\/p>\n On September 22, the Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) will present a plan to reform Germany\u2019s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn<\/a>.<\/p>\n Starved of government funding and plagued with delays<\/a> as a consequence, Schnieder fired Deutsche Bahn boss<\/a> Richard Lutz in mid-August. The minister says the government has already agreed upon the reform outline and promised to deliver \u201cthoroughness and diligence before speed”.<\/p>\n At the beginning of August, Spotify announced that it would raise the monthly price of subscriptions<\/a> for users in Germany. The new prices will apply from September.<\/p>\n A \u201cpremium individual\u201d subscription will cost 12,99 euros rather than 10,99 euros. The cost of the \u201cduo\u201d subscription will increase from 14,99 to 17,99 euros per month. The cost of a \u201cfamily\u201d subscription will rise from 17,99 to 21,99 euros per month. Despite the price rise, users will not get access to any additional services.<\/p>\n 5. 190th Oktoberfest begins<\/p>\n On September 20, the 190th Oktoberfest<\/a> will kick off on the Theresienwiese in Munich<\/a>. The festival, the largest folk festival in the world, will run until October 5.\u00a0<\/p>\n The price of a typical Oktoberfest Ma\u00dfkrug litre of beer<\/a> will go up again this year and cost between 14,50 and 15,50 euros, depending on which brewery tent you visit.<\/p>\n Like most places in Germany, cash has long been the preferred payment method at Oktoberfest, with long lines for cash points found at the entrance of the festival grounds. In 2025, Oktoberfest will take a step further into the future, with one of the beer tents set to exclusively accept cashless payments.<\/p>\n Heading to Oktoberfest for the first time this year? Check out our ultimate guide to Wiesn<\/a>!<\/p>\n 6. Autumn will arrive on September 22<\/p>\n