Is Germany switching from Windows to Linux?
Germany as a whole has not switched, but the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein is the clearest large example in Europe. It finished moving email from Exchange and Outlook to Open-Xchange and Thunderbird in October 2025, uses LibreOffice as its office standard, and has begun moving desktops to Linux, with a 2027 target for eligible departments.
- Announced
- Pilot
- Rolling out
- Widely deployed
Scope: State administration of Schleswig-Holstein (about 30,000 workstations). Updated Oct 6, 2026.
What operating system does Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) use?
- Linux desktops
Rolling out department by department, starting with the State Chancellery.
- LibreOffice
The binding office standard across ministries and authorities.
- Open-Xchange and Thunderbird
Replaced Exchange and Outlook for over 40,000 mailboxes.
Germany’s Linux timeline
- 2017
Munich’s council votes to return from its LiMux Linux desktops to Windows, a reminder that these moves can be reversed.
- Apr 2024
Schleswig-Holstein announces it will drop Microsoft software for open-source alternatives.
- Oct 2025
Email migration to Open-Xchange and Thunderbird is completed.
- Sep 2026
More than 200 employees of the State Chancellery in Kiel are reported to be working on Linux desktops.
- 2027
Target for full Windows-to-Linux migration across eligible departments.
What is still unclear
This is a general picture, not a measurement.
- This is one German state, not the federal government or the country’s businesses.
- The tax administration and some specialist applications are outside the LibreOffice figure.
Sources
Germany: common questions
Is Germany switching from Windows to Linux?
Not as a country. The state of Schleswig-Holstein is, with email and office software already moved and desktops moving to Linux, targeting 2027 for eligible departments. Most of Germany still uses Windows.
What operating system does Schleswig-Holstein use?
A mix that is shrinking in Windows’ favour: Linux desktops are being rolled out, starting with the State Chancellery, while LibreOffice and Thunderbird already replaced Microsoft Office and Outlook on most workstations.
Did Munich go back to Windows?
Yes. Munich’s LiMux project was reversed after a 2017 council decision. It is often cited as a warning that migrations need sustained political and technical support.
Other countries
Want to try it yourself? Read how to switch from Windows to Linux.