Lights go out at German cathedral to save energy

Berlin, Aug 10 Cologne's famous cathedral is going dark to save electricity, as Germany grapples with an energy supply crisis and soaring prices.

The ancient city on the Rhine is turning off all the lights on its many representative buildings, the most famous of which is the cathedral itself, from 11 p.m. every evening, dpa news agency quoted the authorities in Cologne as saying.

Switch-off time will go to 10 p.m. once autumn sets in.

Normally, the famous Gothic cathedral is illuminated throughout the night.

The city authorities said the decision had been prompted by the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by Germany on Russian oil and coal exports.

The Russ have in response radically cut back their crucial gas supplies to Germany.

Among other measures decided by Cologne are a dimming of the street lighting in the city to 50 per cent of the normal output.

Switch-on times will be later and switch-off times earlier.

Other cities, including Berlin, are killing the lights at night at some historic monuments and municipal buildings, including the Victory Column and town hall.

Hanover is trying to reduce its energy consumption by 15 per cent.

To that end, room temperatures in municipal buildings are limited to a maximum of 20 degrees, museums and other landmarks are no longer illuminated, and hot water in the showers and bathrooms of city-run buildings and sports halls have been turned off.

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