Security risks around Reformation anniversary?

Humans are notoriously bad at assessing risk.
A much bigger risk is auto traffic, either as a pedestrian or driver.

I've been in Germany for 3 weeks, including Berlin for 8 days. I have felt very, very safe. Risk is everywhere -- just ask the folks at the Fort Lauderdale airport or at Pulse in Orlando or on the commuter train in Portland yesterday. As I told my (very worried) parents, the likelihood of me being in the wrong place at the wrong time is infinitesimally small.

The Travel with Rick Steves radio show covers Germany this week (program #485). He spends several minutes discussing irrational fears. He also spends several minutes on Luther 2017.

Thank you for the responses. Is there a way to hear the radio program online?

Thank you again for the responses, and especially to Going 234 for letting me know about Rick's radio show. I really enjoyed hearing that program and seeing all the other topics on other programs. I will definitely use that as a resource!

@JG: What you experienced was not, strictly speaking, the Reformation celebrations but the Kirchentag (a huge lay people's festival which lasts for five days and takes place every two years). It's a really joyful, peaceful, and pleasant gathering of some 100,000 Christians. Security precautions of course are up now, especially with Obama and Merkel coming to visit. That said, I completely agree that it felt perfectly safe.

@Musiclover: Those events are all over the place and all over the whole year. There will certainly be a focus on the town of Wittenberg, and there will be a focus on the exact day of the Reformation, which is October 31. But since there are such a lot of events spread out all over the place and all over the year, there is not really that one event that stands out as a visible goal for (as I imagine you are fearing) possible terrorist attacks. So just go ahead and enjoy your trip, and also enjoy whatever Reformation-related concerts or events you may happen to come across.

I agree with the prior posts.

We just returned from our vacation in Germany - Berlin, Wittenberg, Erfurt, Eisenach, then south to GP, back up to Rothenburg odT, the Rhine, and home via Dusseldorf. We felt completely safe and at ease.

"We are nervous about security risks at this time in Europe..."

So are the German authorities. There were 3,000 police at Church Day in Witteberg last week, 4,000 in Berlin. Officers were sent in from Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Schlesig-Holstein. I don't know what Leipzig will do security-wise. And I can't say whether a heavy police presence is more reassuring or less. I do not buy the argument that people's feelings about security are a good indicator of risk. The victims in Nice and at the Berlin Christmas market were probably feeling very carefree. But the good news is that of the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Christmas markets all around eastern Germany last December, only about 50 became victims; other acts of terror in Germany have been very spotty. The odds that you might be victimized by terrorism are extremely small.

If you're going to do statistics, going by car is probably the most dangerous thing you can do anywhere on the planet.

And living in the United States is so much more dangerous than traveling Germany, not even considering the gun accidents, only the terror attacks:
3000 victims (9/11 attacks) out of a population of roughly 300 million is a 0.001% chance.
12 victims (not sure where you get the 50) out of a population of 80 million is a 0.000015% chance.

This is a somewhat cynical calculation of course, but I think we sometimes need to put our fears into perspective. Which is basically saying: If you want to be safe, drive carefully.

Thank you all who took the time to respond about security. I must say that watching the incidents in London unfold tonight has not made me feel any more secure about traveling to Berlin tomorrow, but we're hoping for the best and look forward to hearing amazingly beautiful music in Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden. We appreciate all of your thoughts.

From one music lover to another safe travels