The total number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany rose to its highest level in more than ​a decade last year, according to data published ‌by the federal statistics office on Friday, Reuters reported. Local courts registered 24,064 corporate insolvency filings, 10.3% more than in the previous year, ​according to the figures. "2025 was an especially weak ​year for Germany as a place to do ⁠business," said Volker Treier, chief analyst for the German ​Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK).

A private foundation co-founded by former real estate tycoon Rene Benko has collapsed into insolvency after a court ruled it owed sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co about €1 billion on soured investments, Bloomberg News reported. Laura Privatstiftung filed for insolvency in Innsbruck, deeming it didn’t have the means to meet its obligations to Mubadala, it said in a statement. The foundation was co-founded by Benko in 2006, and some of its units became deeply intertwined with the financing of his sprawling Signa real estate and retail empire.

The British industrial group Langley Holdings had announced that Manroland Sheetfed's financial situation was "unsustainable" and that several options were being considered for the future of the business, PrintIndustry.news reported. The owner of the sheetfed offset press manufacturer has now taken the next step. Manroland Sheetfed, based in Offenbach am Main, Germany, has filed for insolvency under the "Schutzschirmverfahren" regime.

World leaders announced their most forceful response to the surge in oil prices since the war in Iran began at the end of last month, with Japanese and German officials saying they would release oil from their strategic reserves, the New York Times reported. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan would begin releasing oil as early as next Monday. Less than an hour later, Germany’s economy minister, Katherina Reiche, said her country would also release oil. Austria will also release oil from its reserves, the country’s economy minister, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, said.

Manroland Sheetfed has entered into a “protective shield” form of insolvency proceedings, with the support of parent Langley Holdings, PrintWeek.com reported. Last month Langley Holdings said that mounting losses at the “beleaguered” press manufacturing subsidiary had become unsustainable – the business lost €43.2m (£37.64m) last year – and the board was considering its options for the business. Today (3 March), Langley announced that Manroland Sheetfed had entered ‘Schutzschirmverfahren’ insolvency proceedings, similar to chapter 11 in the US, with Langley providing financial support.

The German subsidiary of discount retailer Pepco has successfully completed its insolvency proceedings: the chain is resuming operations after a major restructuring. The number of stores has almost halved, RetailDetail.eu reported. The insolvency proceedings under Pepco Germany GmbH’s own management will end on 28 February, the company reports. This marks the end of a turbulent period for the retailer, which officially began on 1 October last year. In the past period, the discounter reduced the number of stores in Germany from 64 to 36 and the workforce from 500 to around 350 employees.

A paper mill in Hainsberg in the German state of Saxony has once again entered insolvency proceedings. On 5 February 2026, the Dresden District Court appointed lawyer Susanne Berner from the law firm Dr Berner & Partner Rechtsanwälte as provisional insolvency administrator, Pulpapernews.com reported. Over the coming weeks, she is expected to gain an overview of the financial situation at the long-established industrial company and examine possible options to stabilise operations. The Hainsberg plant has a long history and has experienced recurring financial difficulties over the years.

Wyndham said Wednesday that it booked $160 million in charges tied to the mid-January collapse of its largest European franchisee, Revo Hospitality Group, Skift.com reported. The charge was a reminder of the unpredictability of the hotel industry's asset-light business model, in which hotel groups like Wyndham don't own the hotels they market to guests. Revo is a Berlin-based operator that manages roughly 22,000 rooms under Wyndham and other brands.

Isey Fischimport GmbH and Fimex Tiefkühl GmbH, both based in Bremerhaven, Germany filed for insolvency proceedings at the Bremerhaven District Court on February 5, 2026, FischMagazin.de reported. The court subsequently ordered preliminary insolvency administration for both companies on February 6, 2026, appointing attorney Dr. Christian Kaufmann of Pluta Rechtsanwalts GmbH as the preliminary insolvency administrator in both cases.

A loan deal is turning into a problem for German investor Lars Windhorst: The investment company Istar Capital is accusing him in a lawsuit of failing to pay several million euros. To avoid payments, he allegedly even founded new companies and falsified payment receipts. This is according to court documents that Istar filed in the Southern District of New York at the end of last week , and which t-online has obtained. The documents seen by t-online so far contain no evidence to support Windhorst's claim that the lawsuit will soon be resolved.