Why flooding in Germany is getting worse

German rivers large and small have burst their banks in recent years, causing billions of euros in damage. What is behind the seeming uptick in such disasters?

Photo by Robert Katzki on Unsplash

Dear Reader,

Germany’s mighty rivers, the Rhine in the west, the Danube in the south and the Elbe in the north, brought prosperity to local merchants in the middle ages.

But they were also a threat to the wealthy trading towns that were built on their banks.

One of the most vivid reminders of the destruction these forces …