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Berlin Knife Amnesty Yields No Returns After Ban Tightening

The empty response lays bare the limits of voluntary surrender in a city tightening knife laws.

Overview

  • Police said not a single illegal spring knife was handed in by the October 1 deadline.
  • The amnesty let owners surrender prohibited spring knives to the police weapons authority without prosecution.
  • Rules for laterally opening spring knives were tightened by a 2024 change to the federal Weapons Act, while front-opening models have long been banned.
  • Since July, carrying knives and other weapons is prohibited across Berlin’s entire public transport network, including stations and platforms.
  • Weapons-ban zones in parts of Kreuzberg and Wedding carry fines up to €10,000, yet months after taking effect no fines were issued due to missing signage.