The time zone war: This is how the clock changed our childhood!

On March 30, 2025, the time was changed in the Nienburg district, which led to the past night shorter. This change is reminiscent of the history of the time change in Germany, which are often associated with controversy.

In the past, there was a "high summer time" between 1947 and 1949, which was accompanied by an additional time change. An author remembers The rake to a significant anecdote from his childhood, as a misunderstanding about the time during a family celebration and led to confusion and a frosty atmosphere. At that time, the family members set their watches differently, which ultimately led to a time discrepancy. Nowadays, modern technologies such as radio clocks and cell phones reduce such misunderstandings. Nevertheless, older watches remain a potential stumbling block for people. It is therefore recommended to make previous agreements to avoid different “time zones” in your own household.

history of the time change in Germany

The introduction of summer time in Germany was originally in the Empire and happened without consultation with other nations, which the population surprised. According to an article by National Geographic was issued only three weeks before the beginning, what A discussion about their advantages and disadvantages. Opponents of the time change indicated a burden on the body and disadvantages for early risers, while supporters brought arguments for more daylight and advantages for the hospitality.

In the course of history, summer time in Germany has been changed several times. It was officially abolished in the Weimar Republic in 1919 and was again introduced as a war measure in 1940. From April 1940 to November 1942, the summer time was continuous, before returning to six months in March 1943. The occupying powers continued summer time after the Second World War, with the Central European midsummer period (Mehsz) introduced in the Soviet zone in 1945 and in 1947 throughout Germany. Protests by the population ultimately led to the return to the simple summer time on June 29, 1947, which was then abolished again in 1949.