2011 in Germany are the events and situation of the Federal Republic of Germany in the year 2011, the state of its land and people in that year. In 2011 Germany was recognized for having the most positive influence in the world.[1] In 2011 it was the largest contributor to the budget of the European Union (providing 20%)[2] and the third largest contributor to the UN (providing 8%).[3] Germany hosted the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and Eurovision Song Contest and ended conscription in the Bundeswehr.[4][5] In education, Germany achieved a third best result for University rankings.[6]
A German X-ray observatory in Space called ROSAT, last active in 1999, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 23 October 2011.[7] It had been launched in 1990.[8]
Another space project Germany was involved with was the Mars Science Laboratory Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), which was funded by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters and the DLR. RAD was developed by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the extraterrestrial physics group at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany.[12] RAD was the first of ten MSL instruments to be turned on, on the route to Mars. It will characterize the broad spectrum of radiation environment found inside the spacecraft.[12]
In May 2011 the German Bundeswehr had 188,000 professional soldiers and 31,000 18‑to25‑year‑old conscripts who served for at least six months.[13] The German government announced plans to reduce the number of soldiers to 170,000 professionals and up to 15,000 short-time volunteers (voluntary military service).[14] Reservists are available to the Armed Forces and participate in defence exercises and deployments abroad, a new reserve concept of their future strength and functions was announced 2011.[14]As of April2011[update], the German military had about 6,900 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of international peacekeeping forces, including about 4,900 Bundeswehr troops in the NATO-led ISAF force in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, 1,150 German soldiers in Kosovo, and 300 troops with UNIFIL in Lebanon.[15]
Until 2011, military service was compulsory for men at age 18, and conscripts served six-month tours of duty; conscientious objectors could instead opt for an equal length of Zivildienst (civilian service), or a six-year commitment to (voluntary) emergency services like a fire department or the Red Cross. On 1 July 2011 conscription was officially suspended and replaced with a voluntary service.[4][16]
Newly constructed in 2011, Angélique Arnauld Church
The Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, made his first official visit to Germany in 2011.[17] In 2011, there were 25 million Catholics in Germany, which is about one third of the population.(BBC, 2011)[17]Pope Benedict XVI was welcomed by the Chancellor and the President of Germany, and then made visits across the country, such as with leaders of the Lutheran Church.[17]
The Chancellor of Germany was named the fourth most powerful person in the world in 2011.[18] A poll in August 2011 found the Chancellor's coalition with 36% support.[19]
There were a number of elections in Germany in 2011 including:
Flowers bloom in spring at Schlosspark Herrenhausen, Hannover, Germany. (2011)
By January 2011, around 17% of electricity, 8% of heat and 6% of fuel used in Germany was generated from renewable sources, reducing Germany's energy imports (DENA, 2011).[21] By early 2011, the renewable energy industry employed more than 350,000 people in Germany, up from 30,000 people in 1998. Germany hosted businesses like Enercon, Nordex and REpower Systems in the wind industry and Q-Cells, Schott Solar and SolarWorld in the solar industry. Germany was one of the world's three major renewable energy economies (Renewable Energy Network 21, 2011).[22]
Eight nuclear power reactors in Germany were declared shutdown on 6 August 2011: Biblis A and B, Brunsbuettel, Isar 1, Kruemmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Philippsburg 1 and Unterweser.[26]
30 May – German government announces plans to abandon nuclear power entirely by 2022.
31 May – Journalist and weather presenter Jörg Kachelmann is acquitted of rape after being falsely accused of the crime by his ex-girlfriend Claudia Dinkel. Kachelmann had been imprisoned for over four months while under investigation and suffered significant damage to his career as a result of the false rape accusations.[27]
30 June – Tennis: Germany's Sabine Lisicki is knocked out in the semi-finals of the women's singles at Wimbledon, having made it further in the tournament than previously expected.
4 November – Bosphorus serial murders: Far-right extremists Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Boehnhardt die in a fire in Zwickau while Beate Zschaepe hands herself in to the police. Together, they were found to be responsible for a series of racially motivated murders and the murder of policewoman Michele Kiesewetter in Heilbronn in 2007.
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