This is a roundup of the top stories from and about Germany on the weekend of Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, 2026:
Pistorius voices optimism that conscription will be unnecessary
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said he believes that the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, will not need conscripts to achieve the necessary level of recruitment.
Pistorius told newspapers from the Funke media group that the Bundeswehr currently had some 190,000 members, the highest level in 13 years, meaning that voluntary recruitment measures were working.
"If this trajectory continues, we will have no problems with growth," he said, and there would not have be be "a discussion about conscription of whatever kind."
He said he understood the concerns of teenagers and young adults who recently protested against the idea of military conscription.
"But when people say at demonstrations, 'we don't want to die at the front or in war,' I can only say: We don't want that either," he said.
He said that was precisely the reason why strong armed forces were necessary "that can act as a deterrent so we don't get into a situation in the first place where we have to fight somewhere."
Pistorius also said the Bundeswehr, currently male-dominated, was seeking to employ more women, saying the armed forces would be "particularly strong if it represents the breadth of our society."
Germany rearms, but who will serve in the military?
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Frankfurt braces for crowds and disruption at Iran protests
Pahlavi has supporters in the Iranian diaspora, but he also has many criticsImage: Boris Roessler/dpa/picture allianceThe city of Frankfurt am Main is bracing for another day of protests and traffic disruption on Saturday, with large numbers of Iranians expected to hold protests and counterprotests.
The demonstrations are being prompted by the appearance of exiled Iranian opposition politician Reza Pahlavi, who is to receive a peace prize in the name of Iran's people from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which is affiliated with the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP).
Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, under whose autocratic rule Iran was governed from 1941 to 1979, was expected to attend a large demonstration in the city's Ostpark and possibly speak there.
Barriers, loudspeaker towers and a stage have already been set up at the park, which is to be the final destination of a march by demonstration participants.
Counterprotests are also expected amid criticism of Pahlavi's presence by Iranian organizations, people held in prison under his father's rule and a number of leftist German parties.
The former German ambassador to the UN, Joachim Rücker, and the erstwhile justice minister, Brigitte Zypries, have also signed an open letter protesting the honor given to Pahlavi.
The last time Pahlavi visited Germany was in April, when he accused Germany and other European countries of standing by while the clerical regime in Iran violently clamped down on protesters.
Frankfurt also saw protests a week ago, with mostly peaceful Gen Z demonstrations calling for better living conditions and education hijacked in the evening by people wanting to loot and vandalize.
Son of Iran's last shah criticizes West on Berlin trip
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Welcome to our coverage
Guten Tag from DW's newsroom on the banks of the Rhine in Bonn!
Germany's banking hub of Frankfurt is gearing up for another day of protests after mostly peaceful demonstrations last weekend brought violence and looting on the sidelines.
This time, the focus is not on social and political problems within Germany but on the situation in Iran, with an appearance by Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi likely to cause demonstrations by supporters and critics alike.
Meanwhile, German defense minister Boris Pistorius has expressed satisfaction with the personnel situation in the country's armed forces, saying that the largely unpopular measure of military conscription will likely not be needed.
Read on here for more on these and other stories connected with Germany.