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1.FC Kaiserslautern lost its final game of the season, falling 3-0 to Duesseldorf at home. The Red Devils got off to a quick start in front of nearly 48,000 spectators at Fritz Walter Stadium, with a couple of missed chances in the opening minutes. But it was Duesseldorf that scored when Dawid Kownacki netted a shot in the 17th minute. Kaiserslautern was a man short after captain Jean Zimmer took a red card in the 25th minute. In the second half, Kownacki scored again, before Daniel Ginczek knocked in the 3-0 finisher in the 89th minute. The Red Devils finished the second division season in ninth place with 45 points. Duesseldorf came in fourth. After the summer break, FCK heads to the States for friendlies against Louisville City FC and Minnesota at the end of June. The German second division 2023/24 season starts up again July 28. 

The Alles Muss Raus! “Everything must go (outside)!” festival returns to Kaiserslautern in July. The celebration brings together the worlds of theater, music and performance art in downtown from July 14-16. The festivities kick off on Friday evening at the historic Fruchthalle where a revue performance sets the stage for the weekend with song, dance and acrobatics. The festival then spills out onto the streets with a diverse range of street theater performances, mime acts and musical programs from live bands to solo artists. Updates on the festival program are available online.

Here are some Memorial Day events happening in Europe this weekend. The American cemeteries in Belgium, France and Luxembourg are a day trip away from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Read more here.

Foto: Polizei

An American service member was arrested while riding an e-scooter drunk on Thursday, police said. The 35-year-old’s breath smelled of alcohol, prompting a breathalyzer test that revealed a blood alcohol level of .08%, Westpfalz police said in a statement. Consequently, he was required to abandon the electric scooter and accompany the officers to the police station for further processing. The individual was later handed over to the U.S. military police.

A house fire killed two cats in Otterbach Thursday afternoon. A resident discovered heavy smoke coming from the kitchen of her apartment around 4:30 p.m. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, and no people were injured, police said. The blaze caused significant property damage, however, and the animals were found dead inside the apartment. Firefighters, police, emergency medical services and animal rescue teams responded to the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

An axe sticks to a block of wood during the axe throwing event of the 693rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group’s Highland Games at Wiesbaden, Germany, Oct. 11, 2017. The group’s Airmen are scattered in several U.S. military installations in Germany, and converge every year for the games. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Magbanua)

An ax-wielding vandal damaged 12 trees in Jean-Schoen Park on Wednesday. Witnesses observed the suspect throwing an ax at trees on park grounds around 2:30 p.m., police said. Responding officers were unable to locate the perpetrator, who caused an estimated 12,000 euros in damages. The unknown individual was seen riding a bicycle and described as approximately 5-feet, 7- inches tall to 5-feet, 11 inches-tall, wearing a ribbed undershirt, black pants and fingerless athletic gloves. Witnesses with information about the suspect are urged to contact Kaiserslautern Police at 0631 369-2250.

Radar speed cameras are placed along the A63 in Kaiserslautern this morning, Westpfalz Police announced. Motorists are advised to exercise caution and adhere to speed limits to avoid penalties.

The Rhine Ordnance Barracks Medical Center (ROB-MC) gate at Ramstein Air Base will be closed from 5 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Tuesday, over the Memorial Day holiday, base officials announced. The base’s West Gate will remain open 24/7.

Local white wines will make their appearance at many summer festivals in Germany.

There’s plenty to do this weekend in the KMC and nearby. Learn about MWR programs and services and enter to win prizes at lunchtime on Friday at the Family and MWR Community Expo at the Kazabra Club located in Vogelweh. The Bruchmuehlbach-Miesau riding club hosts its horse show in Miesau with about 250 riders competing Saturday through Monday. Wein im Park with wine tastings and music will be held at the Volkspark Kaiserslautern from Friday through Monday. If you’re up for a train or car ride, head to Mannheim Friday through Sunday for children’s entertainers, hands-on activities and more at Kinderfest. Want more options? Try this.


Kaiserslautern’s swimming season begins this Saturday with the opening of the Warmfreibad near Kleber Kaserne. The pool will be operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and noon to 8 p.m. on Mondays. The opening of the Waschmuehle continues to be delayed beyond the initial target opening date of June 4 due to construction work, city officials said in a statement.

Kleber and Landstuhl Java Cafés will be closed for staff training on Friday. Meanwhile, the ROB Java Café will close early on the same day, wrapping up at 1 p.m. The VAT office located within the ROB Java Café will remain open. On Tuesday, all Kaiserslautern Java Cafés will be back to their regular operating hours.

Kaiserslautern waste management will begin weekly collection of bio bins next week. From June to October, residents can dispose of their kitchen and garden waste, including leftovers, grass clippings, and fruit and vegetable scraps every week to reduce odor and avoid attracting insects during the summer months. Collected organic waste in Kaiserslautern is processed into environmentally friendly bio-compost and biomass energy. 

Don’t forget about the B2Run 5K event happening this evening. Expect traffic disruptions throughout downtown starting from 10 a.m. due to barricade setups. Several roads, including Lutrinastrasse, Karl-Marx-Strasse to Bismarckstrasse, and Schneiderstrasse will be closed between 4 p.m. and approximately 9 p.m. More info here.

Fans dressed in FC Kaiserslautern apparel cheer on the soccer team during a game at Fritz Walter Stadium. Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes

The 1. FC Kaiserslautern soccer team will play their final game of the season at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at Fritz Walter Stadium against Duesseldorf. In eighth place with 45 points in the German second division, it has been a successful season for the Red Devils, following their promotion from third division last summer. However, they have only won one of their last 11 games and have lost the last two at home. Duesseldorf is in sixth place, 10 points ahead of Kaiserslautern. According to the FCK website, there are no tickets available for Sunday’s game on the Betzenberg. The 2023/24 second division season gets underway July 28. 

Staustellen im Reisesommer 2023 / Weiterer Text über ots und www.presseportal.de/nr/7849 / Die Verwendung dieses Bildes für redaktionelle Zwecke ist unter Beachtung aller mitgeteilten Nutzungsbedingungen zulässig und dann auch honorarfrei. Veröffentlichung ausschließlich mit Bildrechte-Hinweis.

The Pentecost, or Pfingsten, holiday is expected to bring traffic congestion to Germany this weekend. Drivers nationwide will be on the roads for a long weekend, and Rheinland-Pfalz kicks off school holidays from May 30 through June 7. The most significant traffic disruptions are expected on Friday afternoon and on Whit Monday, May 29, according to German Automobile Club ADAC. In 2022, the Friday before Pentecost was the third busiest day on German roads. 

A 16-year-old American riding the train Sunday between Kaiserslautern and Einsiedlerhof reported being hugged against her will, kissed on her bare legs and threatened with rape by a man speaking Arabic, German federal police said Tuesday. When two witnesses on the train, who also spoke Arabic, rushed to the aid of the teenager, the suspect pulled the hair of one of the men and tore his T-shirt, police said. Two other witnesses on the train, meanwhile, reported the incident to police. The suspect was forced off the train at the Einsiedlerhof station and fled. Police are investigating the incident and reviewing video footage to try and identify the suspect.

A motorcyclist clocked at more than twice the speed limit near Hochspeyer on Sunday is expected to lose driving privileges for two months and pay a fine of 100 euros, the Westpfalz police department in Kaiserslautern said today. The biker’s speed of 112 kilometers per hour (about 70 miles per hour) was recorded in a 50 kph (or about 31 mph) zone. German police caught the offender while performing a traffic check on the B48 by a youth hostel near Hochspeyer. Over the course of an hour, police measured the speed of 20 vehicles, including 13 motorcycles. Two other vehicles were caught speeding, including another motorcyclist and a car. Both drivers were going about 13 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. They must pay a fine of 100 euros and will likely be docked one or two points from their driver’s license, police said.

Your military retired pay can be impacted if you receive compensation from a foreign government without advance permission. The U.S. Constitution prohibits federal government employees from accepting compensation, gifts, or titles from foreign governments without the prior consent of Congress. This prohibition also applies to military retirees. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Caraway)

Thieves snagged U.S. dollars from an unlocked vehicle in Siegelbach. The unknown persons got away with U.S. and euro currency, totaling approximately 210 euros, Westpfalz Police said. The car was parked on Finkenstrasse and appears to have been left unlocked. Witnesses who noticed any suspicious activity between 8:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:15 a.m., Monday, can contact Kaiserslautern Police at 0631 369-2620.

Blood drives in the Kaiserslautern Military Community are scheduled for various locations through June. The first event is slated for May 30-31 at Smith Barracks in Baumholder, followed by Rhine Ordnance Barracks on June 6, Vogelweh on June 7, Ramstein Air Base on June 20-21, Sembach on June 26, and Kleber Kaserne on June 27. For more information, visit www.militarydonor.com and use the code “Europe.”

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