The Senate of Berlin has announced a temporary pause on night lighting for a substantial portion of the city’s monuments this Wednesday, a move tied to electricity conservation efforts amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Roughly two hundred landmarks across Germany’s capital will flicker off during the late hours, a measure aimed at reducing energy use during a time of heightened strain on power supplies.
From Wednesday evening into the early hours of Thursday, prominent sites such as Berlin Cathedral, the Santa Maria Church, and the Old City Palace will switch to darkness. The step aligns with broader energy-saving tactics that authorities say are necessary given current geopolitical tensions and the pressure they place on national energy systems.
In the days ahead, additional well-known symbols including the Victory Column, the Red Town Hall, the German State Opera, and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the Tiergarten area are expected to join the list of buildings that are dimmed at night. The plan reflects a careful balancing act between preserving cultural visibility and reducing energy consumption when supplies are tight.
Environment Senator Bettina Jarasch stated that the decision mirrors the country’s response to the war against Ukraine and the energy threats arising from Russia. The aim is to exercise particular caution with energy use while maintaining essential public services and cultural heritage awareness across the city. This stance mirrors similar metropolitan efforts seen in other regions facing acute energy pressures.
Officials quantified the impact by noting that the total nightly consumption of outdoor illumination for Berlin’s monuments amounts to about 200,000 kilowatts per year, a figure that translates into approximately 40,000 euros in annual expenditures. The reduction in lighting is therefore symbolic in financial terms as well as ecological, signaling a visible commitment to energy prudence without erasing the city’s iconic nighttime silhouette.
Meanwhile, the Bundestag in the former Reichstag building is choosing to remain lit for the time being. A spokesperson for the parliament recently indicated that an energy-saving plan has already been activated to curb consumption where possible, balancing the needs of a functioning seat of government with the broader call for efficiency and restraint in energy use.