diff --git a/docker-compose.yml.example b/docker-compose.yml.example
index e7a93da..3b983cd 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml.example
+++ b/docker-compose.yml.example
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ services:
       - 5000:5000
     environment:
       - FABCAL_CACHE_EXPIRE=120
+      - LANG=de
+      - LC_ALL=de_DE.UTF-8
     volumes:
       - ./config.yml:/app/config.yml:ro
     # use the line below when running this behind reverse proxy (only if it sets the proxy headers, though)
diff --git a/fabcal/routers/__init__.py b/fabcal/routers/__init__.py
index 75ad936..a645d33 100644
--- a/fabcal/routers/__init__.py
+++ b/fabcal/routers/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import re
 
+from babel.dates import format_datetime
 from jinja2 import pass_eval_context
 from markupsafe import Markup, escape
 from starlette.templating import Jinja2Templates
@@ -7,6 +8,9 @@ from starlette.templating import Jinja2Templates
 
 templates = Jinja2Templates(directory="templates")
 
+# custom filters
+templates.env.filters["format_datetime"] = lambda value, format: format_datetime(value, format) #, locale="de_DE")
+
 
 @pass_eval_context
 def nl2br(eval_ctx, value):
diff --git a/fabcal/routers/frontend.py b/fabcal/routers/frontend.py
index cae7597..eb21830 100644
--- a/fabcal/routers/frontend.py
+++ b/fabcal/routers/frontend.py
@@ -18,19 +18,9 @@ async def generate_response(request: Request, template_name: str, **additional_c
 
     grouped_events = list(group_by_date(events).items())
 
-    # couple of helpers
-    def localized_abbreviated_month(dt: datetime):
-        return babel.dates.format_datetime(dt, format="%b", locale="de_DE")
-
-    # couple of helpers
-    def localized_abbreviated_weekday(dt: datetime):
-        return babel.dates.format_datetime(dt, format="%b", locale="de_DE")
-
     context = {
         "request": request,
         "grouped_events": grouped_events,
-        "localized_abbreviated_month": localized_abbreviated_month,
-        "localized_abbreviated_weekday": localized_abbreviated_weekday,
     }
 
     context.update(additional_context)
diff --git a/templates/sidebar/includes/events-list.html b/templates/sidebar/includes/events-list.html
index 151aa05..278100a 100644
--- a/templates/sidebar/includes/events-list.html
+++ b/templates/sidebar/includes/events-list.html
@@ -6,22 +6,22 @@
 <div class="calendar-date">
     <div class="calendar-date-date">
         <div class="calendar-date-month">
-            {{ start_date.strftime("%b") }}
+            {{ start_date | format_datetime("MMM") }}
         </div>
         <div class="calendar-date-day">
-            {{ start_date.strftime("%d") }}
+            {{ start_date | format_datetime("d") }}
         </div>
         <div class="calendar-date-weekday">
-            {{ start_date.strftime("%a") }}
+            {{ start_date | format_datetime("EEE") }}
         </div>
     </div>
     <div class="calendar-events">
         {% for event in events %}
         <div class="calendar-event" title="{{ event.summary }}{% if event.description %} &mdash; {{ event.description }}{% endif %}">
             <div class="calendar-event-time">
-                <div class="calendar-event-starttime">{{ event.start.strftime("%H:%M") }}</div>
+                <div class="calendar-event-starttime">{{ event.start | format_datetime("HH:mm") }}</div>
                 <div class="calendar-event-timesep"></div>
-                <div class="calendar-event-endtime">{{ event.end.strftime("%H:%M") }}</div>
+                <div class="calendar-event-endtime">{{ event.end | format_datetime("HH:mm") }}</div>
             </div>
             <div class="calendar-event-description">
                 {% if event.description or event.location %}