Did you know... that Germany was the first country to introduce daylight saving time?

And just like every year, it's happening again this March. While some defend it as a sensible way to save energy, others complain about health issues and no longer see any real benefit. But why do we have daylight saving time in the first place? And will it ever be abolished?

The Origins of Daylight Saving Time: From Benjamin Franklin to the Oil Crisis

The idea of adjusting the clocks to match the seasons is older than many people think. As early as 1784, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin suggested people should rise earlier to make better use of daylight and save candles. However, his proposal was not seriously implemented at the time.

It wasn't until 1916, during World War I, that Germany became the first country worldwide to implement daylight saving time. The idea behind it was to save coal and energy by making better use of longer daylight hours. Other countries soon followed suit, including Great Britain and the United States. After the war, however, daylight saving was abolished again because people struggled to adjust to the change.

During World War II, daylight saving time was reintroduced—this time to make the war economy more efficient. After the war, however, confusion arose in many countries, as some regions observed daylight saving time while others did not. It wasn't until the oil crisis of the 1970s that daylight saving time was re-established nationwide, once again justified by the aim of saving energy.

In the European Union, the current regulation has been in place since 1996: Daylight saving time begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

Will Daylight Saving Time Be Abolished?

The debate over abolishing daylight saving time has been ongoing for years. A large EU-wide online survey in 2018 showed that around 84% of participants favored ending the clock change. As a result, the European Commission decided that daylight saving time should be abolished, allowing each country to choose whether to stick with permanent summer time or winter time.

The abolition was originally planned for 2021, but to this day, no uniform regulation has been implemented because the member states cannot agree on a single time zone. A major issue would arise if neighboring countries adopted different rules, leading to a patchwork of various time zones across Europe.

In Germany, there is also no clear decision on whether to keep permanent summer or winter time. While many people prefer daylight saving time, a permanent switch to summer time could lead to extremely late sunrises in winter—in some regions, it wouldn’t get light until after 9:00 AM.

Conclusion: Daylight Saving Time Remains Controversial

The clock change in March is one of the few rituals that affect people worldwide—yet there is still much debate about whether it is still relevant today. While some enjoy the extra hours of daylight in the evening, others struggle with sleep disturbances and concentration problems.

Whether and when daylight saving time will finally be abolished remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear: as long as it exists, it will continue to spark debate—especially when we have to set our clocks forward by one hour on the last weekend of March.