The director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Association of Businesses UVB recently urged the Berlin city-state government to consider reducing the number of public holidays or shifting them to Sundays. Currently, Berlin, alongside Hamburg, has the fewest public holidays in Germany, with nine nationwide observances and only one additional holiday: International Women’s Day on March 8. In contrast, Brandenburg boasts 11 public holidays annually, while Bavaria leads with 12. „While it is true that Berlin has fewer public holidays than other states, it also carries a heavier debt burden,“ stated UVB director Alexander Schrip during an interview with local broadcaster rbb. Notably, despite this discussion, Berlin has announced that it will recognize May 8 as an additional public holiday this year to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of Nazi rule in Germany, known as Tag der Befreiung.