The night was an hour shorter because from now on summer time applies again in Germany. The fact that radio-controlled clocks automatically advanced themselves by one hour is thanks to the Physical-Technical Federal Institute in Braunschweig.
Summer time applies again in Germany. At 2 a.m. the clocks were set forward one hour to 3 a.m., so Sunday night was one hour shorter.
Summer time was introduced in Germany in 1980 to save energy. According to critics, the resulting energy saving effects are hardly detectable. In addition, some people complain about health problems caused by the change, such as temporary sleep disorders. Others, on the other hand, look forward to longer, bright evenings.
Signals for watches from Mainflingen
Along with Germany, most other European countries have also changed their clocks. In Germany, the clock for time is provided by the atomic clocks of the Physical-Technical Federal Institute in Braunschweig. They ensure that radio clocks, station clocks and many industrial clocks are supplied with the legal time via a long-wave transmitter called “DCF77” in Mainflingen near Frankfurt.
There has been discussion in the European Union for a long time about abolishing the time change. However, no agreement is yet in sight. The issue is currently on hold. However, a joint approach is important in order to avoid a patchwork quilt.