After two years without legal fireworks, the thunderous burning of firecrackers and rockets has started again.
While some throw up their hands in disbelief and find the annual bang annoying, others wait in line for hours to spend thousands of euros on fireworks.
But since when and where can rockets, frogs and the like actually be lit and what do you have to consider so that the firecracker fun does not end in a fine?
Respect forbidden areas
It is important to protect people and buildings on New Year’s Eve. Therefore, states and municipalities establish individual restricted zones where firecrackers are prohibited. The general rule is: it is forbidden to knock in front of hospitals, churches or fire-sensitive buildings.
BILD examines prohibited areas:
▶︎ Berlin: It is forbidden to light fireworks at Alexanderplatz, Steinmetzkiez (Schoeneberg) and Moabit JVA.
▶︎ Brandenburg: There are no special forbidden zone.
▶︎ Meck-bomb: no special forbidden zone. Houses with thatched roofs are considered sensitive to fire: fireworks are prohibited here.
▶︎ Hamburg: Fireworks are taboo on the Rathausmarkt and Binnenalster.
▶︎ Bremen/Bremerhaven: Rathaus, Schlachte and Schnoor are prohibited from tapping. In Bremerhaven there is a no-go zone around the zoo and south of the outer harbour.
▶︎ Saxony: There are no special no-go zones.
▶︎ Saxony-Anhalt: Closed zones have been established in the urban centers of Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Quedlinburg, Salzwedel and Kalbe.
▶︎ Lower Saxony: Fireworks are prohibited in the old and inner cities of Hanover, Celle, Hildesheim, Göttingen, Lüneburg, Buxtehude, Goslar and Hamelin.
▶︎ Thuringia: Firecrackers are not allowed between Theaterplatz and Frauenplan in Weimar. As well as in Gotha (Schloss Friedenstein) and Rudolstadt (Heidecksburg).
▶︎ Bayern: In Regensburg and Augsburg, banging is prohibited in the city center and in the old town. In Munich there is a closed area within the central ring, in Nuremberg around the Kaiserburg and the main market.
▶︎ Baden-Württemberg: Fireworks around the Schlossplatz and in the city center are taboo in Stuttgart. The same goes for the old town of Tübingen.
▶︎ Hesse: In Fireworks are prohibited in Fulda (old town), Marburg (upper town) and Frankfurt (Eiserner Steg).
▶︎ NRW: In Cologne (around the cathedral), Bielefeld (Sparrenburg and on the boulevard), Dortmund (Alter Markt and Reinoldi-Kirche), Aachen (inside the Grabenring) and in the old town of Düsseldorf, firecrackers are prohibited.
▶︎ Rhineland-Palatinate: In Mainz, Trier and Mayen firecrackers are prohibited in the old town.
▶︎ Saarland: There are no special no-go zones
▶︎ Schleswig-Holstein: Fireworks are prohibited in Lübeck (old town) and 200 meters around the thatched roofs.
When can I shoot?
The times when fireworks are allowed are set by the Municipalities and by the Municipalities themselves. However, firecrackers are only permitted between December 31st and January 1st. Anyone who shoots Pyros sooner or later risks a hefty fine.
In Berlin legal popping on New Year’s Eve begins at 6pm and ends at 7am on New Year’s Day. In other cities of the Federal Republic, fireworks lovers can erupt until 11.59 pm on January 1st.
Detailed information for your district is available from the respective regulatory office.
Suggestion: Category 1 fireworks (crackers peas, crackers and crackers) can be used all year round.
Safety first!
Fines of up to €50,000
Anyone caught banging illegally is liable to prosecution and violates the Explosives Act. Unauthorized or home-built fireworks can cost up to €50,000 or even result in imprisonment.
Also, illegal fireworks are confiscated and destroyed. This costs more.
App users can vote here: How do you find private fireworks and firecrackers?
Can children light firecrackers?
No! Category 2 fireworks (rockets, firecrackers, cannon shots, batteries of fireworks) may only be lit by persons over the age of 18.
Children over 12 may only toss crackers. Shots are generally off-limits for younger children, even if parents are present.
