In Berlin, electricians are roaming the city these days to disconnect the lights on monuments and buildings.

Around 200 sights, including the Berlin Cathedral and the equestrian statue Unter den Linden, will remain in the dark at night.

In this way, 200,000 kilowatt hours of electricity are to be saved each year.

This roughly corresponds to the consumption of 100 two-person households.

In view of the current crisis, Environment Senator Bettina Jarasch (Die Grünen) wants to set an example.

Other cities and companies are following suit, and in Spain there is even a legal obligation to remain dark.

Gunter Murr

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Frankfurt has never been particularly interested in what is happening in the capital.

Nevertheless, one is amazed on the Main how Berlin of all places managed not only to make a decision, but also to implement it quickly.

In the financial metropolis that doesn't happen so quickly.

Most of the lights are still on.

Only the lighting of the Römer and Paulskirche will be switched off immediately.

Cathedral and churches are still shining

Frankfurt has long had a special connection to lighting.

The illumination of the Main Bridges was an ambitious urban planning project 15 years ago.

And the skyline would not have the spectacular effect that makes it a popular photo motif without the nightly lighting of individual high-rise buildings.

The world's leading trade fair for lighting and building technology, Light + Building, is also based in Frankfurt.

The Luminale light art festival, which was discontinued during the pandemic, attracted a great deal of attention as a supporting program for the fair.

Many installations enrich the cityscape in the long term, and a guide on the Internet points the way to the projects.

On the other hand, Frankfurt describes itself as a "Green City" and motivates private households to save energy.

Will one or the other lamp be switched off?

A search in the city administration revealed: So far there is no uniform procedure.

cathedral and churches?

still shine.

The Main Bridges?

The traffic department refers to an overall concept for the winter.

Monuments and museums?

The culture department says that savings are already being made by shortening opening hours and that they are currently examining what else can be done.

And what about the skyscrapers?

Commerzbank points out that it has switched the interior lighting in its high-rise building on Kaiserplatz to LEDs and that alone saves 800,000 kilowatt hours a year – four times as much as the city of Berlin achieves with the sights.

Commerzbank is currently checking whether the building lighting is switched off at night.

Deka-Bank also mentions LED technology, but has already imposed restrictions on Tower 185, which belongs to a Deka real estate fund.

The ring of lights at the top of the building is only switched on for a "very limited time".

According to its own statements, the DZ-Bank reduced the lighting even before the energy crisis.

The crown of the Westend 1 skyscraper is now dark from midnight.

In general, outdoor lighting only plays a minor role at 0.2 percent of electricity consumption.

It seems that Frankfurt is taking to heart what Bert Brecht, who lived in Berlin for 17 years, said: “For some are in the dark / And the others are in the light.

/ And those in the light are seen / Those in the dark are not seen.”