All 16 German states on summer break as Bavaria joins nationwide holiday

Nationwide break

On Friday afternoon, 31 July, Bavaria became the last of Germany's 16 federal states to begin its six-week summer holiday. With that, all schools across the country are closed for the first time this year, and the nationwide break will last nine days. The staggered holiday schedule, coordinated among the states, means that for a brief window every summer, the entire country is on holiday simultaneously. The earliest states, including Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, had already been on break since the end of June, so some students have been off for over a month. The nine-day overlap is the only period when all 16 states are on holiday at once, a result of the federal system that spreads start and end dates across several weeks. This year, there were seven different start dates across the states.

Return dates

The first states to resume classes are Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland, where the new school year begins on Monday, 10 August. Those three states had started their holidays at the end of June. After that, other states will follow in the coming weeks, with the last students to return being those in Bavaria, whose first day back is 14 September. Once Bavaria returns, the school year will be underway in all 16 states. By late August, most states will have resumed classes, leaving only Bavaria still on holiday until mid-September.

Student numbers

According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 9 million students attended general education schools in the just-ended school year, with nearly all states recording an increase compared to the previous year. An additional 2.3 million students were enrolled in vocational schools. The total of roughly 11.3 million pupils is affected by the annual summer shutdown. The figures cover the 2025/26 school year, which is now concluding. The increase in student numbers was recorded in almost all federal states, reflecting broader demographic trends.

Scheduling debate

Last year, a debate emerged over the perceived unfairness that Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg always go last in the summer holiday rotation, while the other 14 states take turns. In Bavaria, the summer break is fixed from early August to mid-September every year. The other states coordinate seven different start dates, but Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg do not participate in the rotation. The discussion did not lead to any changes in the scheduling system, which has been in place for decades. The staggered holidays are designed to spread travel demand and reduce congestion on roads and at airports.

French comparison

By contrast, neighbouring France has a single nationwide holiday period. This summer, all French students have been on break since the first weekend of July and will return on 31 August. The German system, with its multiple start dates, is a product of federal coordination aimed at spreading travel demand. The French approach results in a uniform break of about eight weeks, while German states each have six weeks but at different times.