The paper presents a report about Stahl 2011 annual German national metallurgical conference. Where is now the German iron and steel industry from the point of view of international competitiveness? Possibilities and hazards are analyzed by the leading experts - metallurgists, economists, politicians. The most actual problems are discussed, among them - prices for raw materials, efficiency of raw materials, power supply, trade of quotes for emissions, federal and regional policy in the field of environment protection and industrial competitiveness, value-added steel products, scientific-research and engineering-designing works for metallurgy, steel as the main construction material.