2020 in Germany

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2020 History of Germany  • Timeline  • Years

Events in the year 2020 in Germany .

Incumbents

• President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
• Chancellor: Angela Merkel

Events

January

• 5 January – Beginning of Volleyball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's European qualification ^[1]
• 6 January – End of 2019–20 Four Hills Tournament, a ski jumping event co-hosted by Germany and Austria ^[2]
• 17 January – Beginning of 2020 Men's EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championship ^[3]
• 20 January – Beginning of 2020 German Masters
• 21 February – 2020 Junior World Luge Championships
• 24 January – 2020 Rot am See shooting
• 27 January – The first recorded infection of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany occurs in Bavaria.

February

• 5 February – The Start of the 2020 Thuringian government crisis. The Crisis was triggered by the election of Thomas Kemmerich from Free Democratic Party (Germany) FDP as Thuringian Minister President with votes from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU} and (FDP). The election attracted considerable national and international attention because, for the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, a Minister President was elected with votes from a far-right populist party, in this case the AfD.
• 8 February – Kemmerich resigns as the Thuringian Minister President.
• 19 February – Hanau shootings
• 20 February – 70th Berlin International Film Festival
• 21 February
  • Beginning of IBSF World Championships 2020
  • Beginning of 2020 Judo Grand Slam Düsseldorf
• 22 February – 2020 German Indoor Athletics Championships
• 23 February – 2020 Hamburg state election: the SPD remains in first place with 39% of the vote. ^[4]
• 24 February – Volkmarsen ramming attack
• 26 February – Beginning of 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships

March

• 9 March – First death in Essen in COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
• 12 March – The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classified the Flügel a far-right faction within Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) as "a right-wing extremist endeavor against the free democratic basic order" that was incompatible with Germany's Basic Law, and placed the group under intelligence surveillance. ^{[5] [6] [7]}
• 16 March – COVID-19 pandemic in Germany; All schools in Germany are closed

April

• 20 April – 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Germany, Germany reopens shops with cloth face mask restriction for buyers, but Chancellor Angela Merkel warns of a second coronavirus wave in the country in autumn 2020. ^[8]
• 30 April – 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Germany - After a summit between Angela Merkel and state leaders, the federal government allowed opening of museums, monuments, botanical gardens and zoos, and religious services under strict social distancing conditions. ^[9]

May

• 5 May – German Bundesverfassungsgericht decided, that the expanded asset-purchase programme (EAPP) since 2015 by European Central Bank violates German law. ^{[10] [11]}
• 7 May – German parliament Bundestag bans conversion therapy for those under 18 years nationwide and forbids advertising of conversion therapy. It also forbids conversion therapy for adults, if they decided by force, fraud or pressure. ^[12]
• 15 May – Germany's Bundestag votes to make the burning of the EU flag or that of another country a hate crime equivalent to that of burning the German flag - carrying a sentence of up to three years in prison. The only major party that opposed the move was the right-wing Alternative for Germany. ^[13]

July

• 21 July – The government of Baden-Württemberg bans full-face coverings burqas, niqabs for all school children. the rule will apply to primary and secondary education. Winfried Kretschmann the Ministers-President said that full-face veiling did not belong in a free society. ^{[14] [15]}

August

• 22 August – Alexai Navalny, a seriously ill Russian opposition leader, is taken to Berlin for treatment. ^[16]
• 29 August – hundreds of protesters try to storm the Reichstag. Early in the day tens of thousands protested against government measures for the coronavirus. ^{[17] [18] [19] [20]}

September

• 2 September – The German government claims to have "unequivocal proof" that Alexai Navalny was poisoned with Novichok. ^[21]
• 3 September – 2020 Solingen killings ^[22]

October

• 4 October - 2020 Dresden knife attack

Deaths

January

Hans Tilkowski in 2005

Wolfgang J. Fuchs in 2019

• 2 January – Veronika Fitz, actress (b. 1936).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 4 January – Herbert Binkert, footballer (b. 1923).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 5 January – Hans Tilkowski, footballer (b. 1935) ^[23]
• 10 January – Wolfgang Dauner, jazz pianist (b. 1935) ^[24]
• 11 January – Sabine Deitmer, author (b. 1947).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 13 January – Sophie Kratzer, ice hockey forward (b. 1989).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 16 January – Maik Hamburger, translator, writer and dramaturge (b. 1931).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 20 January – Wolfgang J. Fuchs, author and journalist (b. 1945).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 21 January
  • Herbert Baumann, composer (b. 1925).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Hermann Korte, academic specialising in German literature (b. 1949).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 23 January – Gudrun Pausewang, writer (b. 1928) ^[25]
• 24 January – Martin Matschinsky-Denninghoff, sculptor (b. 1921).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 29 January
  • Othmar Mága, dirigent (b. 1929).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Christoph Meckel, author (b. 1935).^{[ citation needed ]}

February

Sonja Ziemann in 2006

• 4 February – Volker David Kirchner, violist and composer (b. 1942). ^[26]
• 7 February – Lucille Eichengreen, Holocaust survivor and memoirist (b. 1925). ^[27]
• 8 February – Volker Spengler, actor (b. 1939). ^[28]
• 9 February – Karl-Heinz Rädler, astrophysicist (b. 1935).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 11 February – Joseph Vilsmaier, film director (b. 1939). ^[29]
• 12 February – Hansjoachim Linde, inspector general (b. 1926). ^[30]
• 14 February – Alwin Brück, politician (b. 1931). ^[31]
• 15 February – Karl Ludwig Schweisfurth, businessman (b. 1930). ^[32]
• 17 February
  • Ror Wolf, writer and poet (b. 1932). ^[33]
  • Sonja Ziemann, actress (b. 1926). ^[34]
• 20 February – Peter Dreher, painter (b. 1932). ^[35]
• 26 February – Hans Deinzer, clarinetist (b. 1934). ^[36]
• 27 February – Burkhard Driest, actor, writer and director (b. 1936).^{[ citation needed ]}

March

Susan Weinert in 2002

Alfred Gomolka

• 1 March – Carsten Bresch, physicist and geneticist (b. 1921). ^[37]
• 2 March
  • Tabea Blumenschein, actress (b. 1952). ^[38]
  • Viktor Josef Dammertz, Roman Catholic prelate (b. 1929). ^[39]
  • Ulay, performance artist (b. 1943). ^[40]
  • Susan Weinert, guitarist (b. 1965). ^[41]
  • Peter Wieland, singer and entertainer (b. 1930). ^[42]
• 3 March
  • Freimut Duve, politician and author (b. 1936). ^[43]
  • Günther Müller, conductor (b. 1925).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 9 March – Dietmar Rothermund, historian (b. 1933).
• 11 March – Burkhard Hirsch, politician (b. 1930). ^[44]
• 12 March – Wolfgang Hofmann, jodoka (b. 1941). ^[45]
• 13 March – Giwi Margwelaschwili, German-Georgian writer and philosopher (b. 1927). ^[46]
• 21 March – Hellmut Stern, violinist (b. 1928) ^[47]
• 24 March – Alfred Gomolka, politician (CDU) (b. 1942).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 26 March – Rolf Huisgen, chemist (b. 1920).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 28 March – Thomas Schäfer, politician (b. 1966).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 31 March – Reimar Lüst, astrophysicist (b. 1923). ^[48]

April

Ulrich Kienzle

Norbert Blüm

• 1 April – Rüdiger Nehberg, human rights activist and survival expert (b. 1935). ^[49]
• 2 April – Oskar Fischer, politician (b. 1923). ^[50]
• 12 April – Sascha Hupmann, basketball player (b. 1970).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 16 April – Ulrich Kienzle, journalist and author (b. 1936).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 19 April – Margit Otto-Crépin, equestrian (b. 1945). ^[51]
• 21 April – Florian Schneider, musician (b. 1947) ^[52]
• 22 April – Hartwig Gauder, race walker (b. 1954) ^[53]
• 23 April – Norbert Blüm, politician (b. 1935).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 30 April – Gerhard Zebrowski, footballer (b. 1940).^{[ citation needed ]}

May

• 1 May
  • Judith Esser-Mittag, German gynecologist (b. 1921) ^[54]
  • Sabine Zimmermann, TV host (b. 1951).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 6 May – Herbert Frankenhauser, politician (CSU) (b. 1945).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 8 May – Roy Horn, German-American magician and entertainer (b. 1944) ^[55]
• 12 May
  • Astrid Kirchherr, photograph and artist (b. 1938) ^[56]
  • Hans-Peter Naumann, philologist (b. 1933).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 13 May – Rolf Hochhuth, author and playwright (b. 1931) ^[57]
• 17 May
  • Hermann Fellner, politician (CSU) (b. 1952).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Hans-Joachim Gelberg, writer and publisher of children's books (b. 1930).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Peter Thomas, film music composer (b. 1925).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 21 May – Julitta Münch, journalist (b. 1959).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 25 May – Renate Krößner, actress (b. 1945).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 26 May – Irm Hermann, actress (b. 1942). ^[58]

June

• 1 June – Christoph Sydow, journalist (b. 1985).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 5 June
  • Werner Böhm, musician and singer (b. 1941).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Friedrich Stelzner, academic surgeon, scientist and educator (b. 1921).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 6 June – Dietmar Seyferth, chemist (b. 1929).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 7 June – Bettina Heinen-Ayech, painter (b. 1937).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 8 June – Klaus Berger, Roman Catholic theologian (b. 1940).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 10 June
  • Hans Cieslarczyk, football player (b. 1937).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Hans Mezger, automobile engineer (b. 1929).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 11 June – Hermann Salomon, javelin thrower (b. 1938). ^[59]
• 15 June – Anton Schlembach, Roman Catholic bishop (b. 1932).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 18 June
  • Claus Biederstaedt, actor (b. 1928).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Anna Blume, photograph (b. 1936).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 25 June – Peter E. Toschek, experimental physicist (b. 1935).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 26 June – Katrin Beinroth, judoka (b. 1981).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 29 June – Gernot Endemann, film and television actor (b. 1942).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 30 June – Ludwig Finscher, musicologist (b. 1930).^{[ citation needed ]}

July

Hans-Jochen Vogel

• 1 July – Georg Ratzinger, Roman Catholic priest and musician (b. 1924).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 2 July – Tilo Prückner, German television and film actor. (b. 1940)
• 5 July – Willi Holdorf, German football player (b. 1940) ^[60]
• 26 July – Hans-Jochen Vogel, lawyer and politician (b. 1926). ^[61]

August

• 3 August – Ralf Metzenmacher, German painter and designer (b. 1964) ^[62]
• 7 August – Fred Stillkrauth, German actor (b. 1939)
• 13 August – Bernd Fischer, German mathematician (b. 1936)
• 16 August – Georg Volkert, German football player (b. 1945)
• 28 August
  • Wolfgang Stahl, German spectroscopist (b. 1956)
  • Uli Stein, German artist (b. 1946) ^[63]
• 30 August – Ingrid Stahmer, Geram politician (SPD) (b. 1942)

September

Wolfgang Clement

• 18 September – Joachim Kunert, German film director and screenwriter (b. 1929)
• 22 September – Michael Gwisdek, German actor and film director (b. 1942)
• 24 September – Gerry Weber, German designer and entrepreneur (b. 1941)
• 27 September – Wolfgang Clement, German politician (b. 1940)

October

• 1 October – Otfried Nassauer, German journalist (b. 1956)
• 2 October – Heinz Kördell, German football player (b. 1932)
• 4 October – Günter de Bruyn, German writer (b. 1926) ^[64]
• 6 October
  • Folker Bohnet, German actor and theatre director (b. 1937)
  • Herbert Feuerstein, German comedian (b. 1937)
• 15 October – Tom Maschler, German-born British publisher, founder of the Booker Prize (b. 1933). ^[65]
• 25 October – Thomas Oppermann, German politician (b. 1954)

November

• 14 November – Peter Pagé, German computer scientist (b. 1939)
• 15 November – Rudolf Kippenhahn, German astrophysicist (b. 1926) ^[66]

December

• 12 December – Jack Steinberger, German-born American Nobel physicist (b. 1921) ^[67]

References

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7. Katrin Bennhold, Germany Places Part of Far-Right Party Under Surveillance Archived 3 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine , New York Times (March 12, 2020).
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36. "Prof. Hans Deinzer verstorben" [Prof. Hans Deinzer passed away] (in German). Retrieved 14 March 2020.
37. "Das Institut trauert um Carsten Bresch" [The Institute mourns the murder of Carsten Bresch] (in German). Archived from the original on 9 March 2020.
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40. "È morto Ulay: è la fine di un'epoca. Se ne va una delle colonne della performing art" [Ulay is dead: it's the end of an era. One of the columns of the performing art goes away] (in Italian). 2 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
41. "Susan Weinert ist tot" [Susan Weinert is dead] (in German). Saarbrücker Zeitung. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
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43. Mangold, Ijoma (4 March 2020). "Der Intellektuelle als Politiker, der Politiker als Intellektueller" [The intellectual as a politician, the politician as an intellectual]. Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 14 March 2020.
44. "Die Hochschule trauert um ihren Ehrenbürger Dr. Dr. h.c. Burkhard Hirsch" [The university mourns the loss of its honorary citizen Dr. Dr. hc Burkhard Hirsch]. Hochschule Düsseldorf (in German). 12 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
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