Friday, 23 May
Federal police declare temporary knife ban at major Berlin train stations
Starting next week, Berlin’s central train stations will become no-knife zones, at least for part of the day. In an effort to curb rising violence, federal police are instituting a month-long weapons ban across twelve of the city’s busiest stations.
From May 26 to June 30, between 2pm and 4pm daily, travellers at Hauptbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Südkreuz, and others will need to leave their swords, baseballs bats and ice picks at home. Yes, really.
The ban covers a wide arsenal: guns of all sizes and shapes (air rifles included), knives over six centimetres, axes, sabres, crowbars, crossbows, catapults, slingshots, and basically anything else that could double as a prop in a Michael Bay film.
Police have stated that the ban is meant to protect passengers and officers alike. Violaters may have their items confiscated and face fines of varying degrees.
The move follows similar temporary bans in previous years and comes as Berlin’s Senate considers broader weapons restrictions across the city’s public transport system. The capital already has three permanent knife-free zones: Leopoldplatz, Görlitzer Park, and Kottbusser Tor.
According to the police, there are around ten knife attacks per day in Berlin. While officials say the ban is about keeping people safe, critics see it as a pretext for over-policing, especially in spots already under constant watch. Whether it stops violence or just adds more uniforms to the stations is anyone’s guess.
