Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
As part of the ongoing fight against coronavirus, we’ve had to get used to a lot of new rules - distance requirements, contact restrictions and mask obligations, to name just a few. For those who violated the rules (and were caught), a fine was due. Now, a survey has revealed how much money was collected - and the numbers are quite staggering.
In April alone, twelve major German cities issued fines worth a total of two million euros for violations of coronavirus regulations. This emerges from a survey conducted by Spiegel, who reached out to the 15 largest cities in Germany, by population, for their figures. 12 cities responded.
April was chosen as the month for comparison because it was the first month in which fines began to be issued all across Germany for coronavirus rule violations - and, being the furthest in the past, it is the month for which the values are most reliable.
According to absolute figures, Frankfurt was the city that collected the most in fines, raking in approximately 410.000 euros in April. Germany’s financial hub was closely followed by Stuttgart (382.000 euros) and Duisberg (350.000 euros).
The total value of fines issued in the 12 cities were as follows:
Money taken as fines is usually added to the city’s coffers. It is worth pointing out, however, that these sums are tiny compared to the amount cities are expected to lose out on as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Cologne, for example, is predicting a trade tax loss totalling some 240 million euros. Leipzig is expecting 170 million euros less in trade tax and Nuremberg somewhere around the 150 million euro-mark.