German authorities in Germany make little use of the option to establish simpler knife and weapon ban zones so far.
Since the federal government tightened the weapons law in late October, such zones have been established in five federal states across the country, as a request by the “Spiegel” to the interior ministries of the states revealed. Berlin, Braunschweig, and the Bavarian town of Geretsried have set up such zones. Furthermore, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein have banned the carrying of weapons and knives in public transportation.
More zones are planned: In the Saarland, Saarbrücken and Neunkirchen are to be designated as such, and in North Rhine-Westphalia, the cities of Hamm, Bielefeld, and Münster are to be designated, although some of these were already planned before the law was tightened.
According to the ministries, there were at least 26 such ban areas across the country before the recent reform. The federal government had tightened the weapons law in October, in part as a reaction to the Islamist terrorist attack in Solingen. Several state ministries have forwarded the option of ban zones to municipalities and cities. As a result, it is possible that places have set up zones of which the state authorities are still unaware, the Bavarian interior ministry, for example, stated.
A possible reason why authorities are holding back: The carrying of weapons and knives on public events is already prohibited, and so are train stations, and the police are authorized to conduct random checks on the spot. With a violation, fines of up to 10,000 euros can be imposed, with exceptions for traders or, for example, cooking businesses.