Time Zone History

Germany time zone history

The zone’s clock record is used in 5 countries and territories today. In 1945 the clocks were changed 4 times.

UTC+1

Standard time is UTC+1 (CEST/CET); clocks go forward to UTC+2 on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.

tz database name Europe/Berlin

Convert a time from Germany

Summer time in 47 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+0:53:28: 7 minutes behind today’s standard timeUTC+1: today’s standard timeUTC+2: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+3: 2 hours ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+0:53:28: 7 minutes behindtoday’s standard timeUTC+1: today’s standard timeUTC+2: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard timeUTC+3: 2 hours ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

18801900192019401960188019201960
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
April 1, 1893Local mean time (UTC+0:53:28) replacedUTC+1CET

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1916April 30October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1917–1918third Monday in April, 02:00third Monday in September, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1940April 1not that year1 hour, CET to CEST
1942not that yearNovember 21 hour
1943March 29October 41 hour, CET to CEST
1944April 3October 21 hour, CET to CEST
1945April 2, May 24September 24, November 181 hour, CET to CEST
1946April 14October 71 hour, CET to CEST
1947April 6, May 11June 29, October 51 hour, CET to CEST
1948April 18October 31 hour, CET to CEST
1949April 10October 21 hour, CET to CEST
Since 1970
1980April 6September 281 hour, CET to CEST
1981–1995last Sunday in March, 02:00last Sunday in September, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1996–2037last Sunday in March, 02:00last Sunday in October, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST

Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The clocks go forward 1 hour (CET to CEST) on March 29, 2026, March 28, 2027 and March 26, 2028 at 02:00 and back 1 hour (CEST to CET) on October 25, 2026, October 31, 2027 and October 29, 2028 at 03:00, local time.

Also on UTC+1

Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, France, Serbia, Italy and Ireland (nearest first; 10 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Czech Republic (279 km): same time except 182 days in 1979.
  • Poland (519 km): same time except 540 days in 1977–1987.
  • Austria (521 km): same time every day.
  • Kaliningrad (Russia) (531 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 9,849 days in 1970–2026.
  • Belgium (649 km): same time except 539 days in 1977–1979.

How it compares

Standard time has stayed at UTC+1 since 1893.

On standard time, clocks in Berlin run 7 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.