Germany news: Ebola patient admitted to Berlin hospital

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What you need to know

• US Ebola patient admitted to Berlin's Charité hospital
• Search for missing people continues after Görlitz house collapse
• SC Freiburg preparing for Europa League final tonight in Istanbul

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Below is DW's coverage of what Germany is talking about on Wednesday, May 20:

Skip next section Two German nationals arrested on suspicion of spying for China05/20/2026May 20, 2026

Two German nationals arrested on suspicion of spying for China

Authorities in the southern German city of Munich have arrested two German nationals on suspicion of engaging in espionage on behalf of Chinese intelligence, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The married couple, identified in line with German ⁠privacy ​rules only as Xuejun C. and Hua ​S., are suspected of attempting to make contact with scientists at German universities to procure "scientific information ​on high-tech technologies ‌with military ​applications."

While the Munich residences and workplaces of the suspects were searched, further operations in connection with the arrests also took place across the states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia aimed at establishing contact with witnesses who are not under suspicion.

Prosecutors said the suspected spies posed as interpreters or employees of automobile manufacturers to make contact in particular with "university professors in the areas of aerospace and space travel, IT and artificial intelligence."

Some of the scientists were reportedly even encouraged to travel to China where they received payment to hold presentations to civilian audiences "which actually took place in front of employees of state armaments companies."

https://p.dw.com/p/5E2YzSkip next section Berlin Airport: Eurowings looking to fill Ryanair gap05/20/2026May 20, 2026

Berlin Airport: Eurowings looking to fill Ryanair gap

German budget airline Eurowings is expanding its operations to and from Berlin Airport (BER) with the addition of two new airplanes and a range of new destinations, including Bologna in Italy, plus additional flights to popular holiday destinations such as the Canary Islands.

"With two additional planes, new routes and greater frequencies, Eurowings is responding to recent market changes at BER," read a statement from the Lufthansa subsidiary.

Those market changes include, in particular, the recent withdrawal from BER of leading European budget airline Ryanair, which is set to halve its operations to Berlin citing high taxes and airport fees in Germany.

With British budget airline EasyJet also reducing services, Eurowings and other Lufthansa subsidiaries, including Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and SunExpress, are set to account for around 30% of all flights to and from Berlin.

"We believe in Berlin and see — despite all the crises — good perspectives for the location," said Eurowings CEO Max Kownatzki, before adding that he shares concerns about operating conditions at German airports.

"Taxes and fees have almost doubled since 2019, leading many airlines to fly in an arc around Germany," he said. "Combined with the rapid increase in the cost of kerosene, this acts as a stop sign for investments in Germany."

He insisted that "Berlin has great potential," but he insisted, "For sustainable growth, airlines need competitive conditions."

High costs render German airports uncompetitive

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https://p.dw.com/p/5E2QOSkip next section Görlitz: Search continues after house collapse05/20/2026May 20, 2026

Görlitz: Search continues after house collapse

More than 36 hours after a house collapsed in the center of the eastern German city of Görlitz, emergency services are still searching for three missing people — but hope is dwindling.

"We are certain that we will find the missing people — but in what state I cannot say," said local fire brigade chief Anja Weigel. "We're now into day two of the operation, which has been going on since 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The chances are obviously sinking but, if we're lucky, someone might be trapped in a cavity in the rubble. Maybe there'll be a miracle."

The 19th-century building collapsed on Monday evening for reasons that are still unclear, although police suspect a potential gas explosion. Gas, water and electricity in neighboring houses have also been turned off as a precaution while the search continues.

According to local media, the three missing people include two female Romanian tourists aged 25 and 26, and a 48-year-old man with both German and Bulgarian citizenship who had been in Görlitz for work. There is still no sign of any of them.

"Pedestrians could have been buried on the pavement in front of the building," cautioned fire brigade chief Weigel. "We have to assume the worst and that we may even only find body parts."

#DailyDrone: Lower Market Görlitz

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https://p.dw.com/p/5E207Skip next section Ebola patient admitted to Berlin hospital05/20/2026May 20, 2026

Ebola patient admitted to Berlin hospital

A US doctor infected with the Ebola virus in Congo was admitted to Berlin's Charité hospital in the early hours of Wednesday.

The German Health Ministry acquiesced to a request from the United States for the patient to be treated in Germany rather than the United States due to the shorter travel time from Uganda and the Charité's experience in dealing with Ebola.

The patient was flown to Berlin on a special medical aircraft and was then driven to the hospital in a specially designed vehicle escorted by police.

Six people with whom the infected man had contact have also been flown to Germany.

The German Health Ministry has reassured the public that there is no danger of the deadly virus spreading to the general population.

The Charité hospital specializes in the treatment of such cases and the patient is being housed in a completely isolated ward, separate from the rest of the clinic.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected people or their bodily fluids and generally begins with symptoms comparable to flu or diarrhea before worsening. The ultimate cause of death is usually multiple organ failure.

According to the German Health Ministry, however, the mortality rate following modern treatment and specialist monitoring at a clinic like Berlin's Charité drops from around 60% to 20%-30%.

What makes this Ebola outbreak different from others?

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https://p.dw.com/p/5E1qhSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/20/2026May 20, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Matt Ford | Sean Sinico Editor

Guten Morgen! Welcome to DW's coverage of what Germany is talking about on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

An American doctor who became infected with the Ebola virus in Congo has been flown to Berlin for isolated treatment in the city's famous Charitße hospital.

Meanwhile, in the eastern German city of Görlitz, the search continues for three missing people 36 hours after a house collapsed.

And in sport, Bundesliga side SC Freiburg are preparing for the biggest game in the club's history: the Europa League final against Aston Villa in Istanbul tonight.

You can catch up on yesterday's news here.

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