Right now, March fares from Washington to at least some German cities are in the $825-$850 range. I'm not sure what city you're travelling from, but I am surprised that April is that much more expensive, unless you are travelling over the Easter weekend. Personally, I would use 60,000 miles rather than pay $1200, but not instead of paying $850.
If you do purchase a ticket and are using a partner airline such as Swiss, Austrian or Lufthansa, be sure that your ticket earns miles. United and Continental have become more restrictive about this in recent months, and even from the East Coast about 9,000 miles are at stake (RT). Lists of eligible fare classes are available on the United and Continental websites; there are, at least for now, some differences between United and Continental in this regard.