Christmas Market
In Advent , sometimes even in the days after Christmas , a Christmas market is held in many places . Depending on the local tradition, such a market is also called an Advent market or Advent market or Christkindlesmarkt (or Christkindlemarkt , Christkindlmarkt , Christkindchesmarkt ). There are also regional additions to names or full proper names, for example the Dresden Striezelmarkt or the Neubrandenburger Weberglockenmarkt .
The number of Christmas markets is elusive. In Germany alone, the information varies between 1500 and 3000, and the duration ranges from one day to several weeks. Christmas markets sell special goods such as handicrafts for Christmas decorations and food. Many Christmas markets also offer visitors rides , music, and performances like nativity plays .
The Christmas tradition in the German-speaking area is known worldwide, and there are Christmas markets based on this model in many countries.
origin
The Christmas markets go back to late medieval sales fairs and - often one-day - markets that gave citizens the opportunity to stock up on meat and winter needs at the beginning of the cold season. In the 14th century, the custom emerged of allowing craftsmen such as toy makers, basket weavers and confectioners to set up stalls for the little things on the market that the children were given for Christmas; There were also stalls selling roasted chestnuts, nuts and almonds.
In 1296 the Viennese merchants received the privilege of Duke Albrecht I of Austria to hold a "December market" to supply the Viennese population. In 1310 a Nikolausmarkt in Munich was first mentioned in a document. In 1384 King Wenzel granted the city of Bautzen the right to hold a free meat market, every Saturday from Michaelmas Day (29 September) to Christmas. Over time, a tradition spread throughout the German-speaking area. Since around the first half of the 20th century, the markets have become an integral part of pre-Christmas customs.
Period
The start of municipal Christmas markets has been postponed into November for several years. However, since the Sunday before the first Advent in the Evangelical Church is celebrated as the Sunday of the Dead , one of the quiet days of the year, this practice has met with criticism and compromises have been made, for example by keeping markets that have already opened closed on the Sunday of the Dead. Various Christmas markets last beyond Christmas “between the years” until the beginning of the new year.
In some places, smaller Christmas markets only open for a few days, on one or more weekends in Advent. Most of the Christmas markets are closed again for Christmas.
Usual image of a Christmas market
A typical Christmas market consists of numerous stalls on the streets and squares of a town, often in front of a historical backdrop that attracts the public. Christmas baked goods and regional specialties such as Printen , gingerbread , Berlin pancakes , Spekulatius , Christmas stollen , various sweets such as chocolate figurines , candy floss , roasted almonds , hot chestnuts and warm dishes are offered. There are also hot drinks such as mulled wine (hence the name "Glühmarkt") Feuerzangenbowle and mulled cider and punch served for soaking (in Austria), but other beverages such as Christmas goat .
What is typical for Christmas markets is controversial. The mayor of Wolfratshausen , Helmut Forster, took the position that cocktails and beer had no place at a Christmas market when the city council of Wolfratshausen dealt with alcohol problems at the local Christmas market. The high and in some markets even predominant share of food and drink offers is also criticized, as is the fact that many of the items offered as Christmas handicrafts are in fact industrial mass-produced goods. In some places the exclusive allocation of the entire market to one organizer is viewed critically, who then determines the selection and composition of the market participants like a monopoly . On the other hand, it is argued that the organization of such a market represents a financial risk and that ultimately demand determines supply.
At a Christmas market there are regular stalls for Christmas items or decorations for the Christmas tree , such as glass balls , Advent stars , tinsel , or handicraft Christmas items such as cribs , Erzgebirge candle arches or incense figures . At larger Christmas markets, goods are mainly offered by professional market vendors. But there are also markets whose proceeds go to charitable or other charitable purposes and which are organized by associations that often also sell products they have made themselves.
Most of the Christmas markets also have an artistic or cultural program. Social institutions, kindergartens and children's and adult choirs as well as music groups with Christmas concerts or a nativity scene can perform in so-called “no-commerce corners”. Appearing for the children Santa Claus with his helpers, or Santa Claus or the Christ child sharing small gifts from. In some places horse-drawn carriage rides are offered. Occasionally, Christmas cribs or other groups of figures are set up (e.g. scenes from fairy tales). At some Christmas markets, living nativity scenes are staged with real sheep, donkeys and goats. Sometimes dromedaries or trample are part of these nativity scenes as mounts for the three wise men. The Christmas market usually gets its special charm from a large Christmas tree and the festive lighting, which contrasts with the early onset of darkness.
Some Christmas markets take place outside of town centers, for example in castles , palaces , manor or monastery courtyards or open-air museums , in Porta Westfalica also in a visitor mine or in Saalfeld inside and outside the fairy grottoes . At some Christmas markets an entrance fee is charged. Partly this is intended to control heavy visitors.
As a result of the attack on the Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin on December 19, 2016, the security measures at many German Christmas markets were tightened. Massive bollards for truck defense and visible patrolling police officers are increasingly being used.
List of Christmas markets
Important Christmas markets in Germany
According to the German Schaustellerbund, there were more than 2,500 Christmas markets in Germany in 2017, 1,500 of which were larger.
This section lists markets in Germany, sorted by federal state, whose origins go back to the year 1500 or which consist of at least 200 stands or are visited by more than 1.5 million guests per year. In the federal states of Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein there are no markets that meet these arbitrary criteria.
Baden-Württemberg
Stuttgart
The Stuttgart Christmas market is one with 280 booths and about 4 million visitors (as of Dec. 23, 2011) to the big Christmas markets in Germany.
The market takes place on the Schloßplatz (including fairy tale land for children and ice rink) and the adjacent historical squares and streets in the city center, including Kirchstrasse and Hirschstrasse, Schillerplatz , Karlsplatz (including a Finnish Christmas village and Christmas collectors' antique market) and the Marketplace . It is opened every year on the last Thursday in November in the Renaissance courtyard of Stuttgart's Old Palace .
Bavaria
augsburg
The Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt has its origins in the Lebzeltermarkt, which was first mentioned in a document in 1498 . In addition to the Christkindlesmarkt on Rathausplatz, there are other smaller markets in the city, e.g. B. in front of the main train station or Martin-Luther-Platz. The Christkindlesmarkt is particularly famous for the angel game .
Munich
Christmas markets can be found in many parts of the city and rural districts in the run-up to Christmas. In 1310, a St. Nicholas market was first mentioned in a document in Munich. In addition to the extensive musical and cultural accompanying program, its attractions include the almost 30-meter-high Christmas tree in front of the town hall with around 2,500 lights, which is donated to the citizens of Munich every year by a different locality from home or abroad (Austria, Italy). The market is usually open daily from the Friday before the 1st Sunday in Advent until Christmas Eve .
The Kripperlmarkt is a specialty . Until 2011 it was located a few meters away from the pedestrian zone at the Rindermarkt . Since 2012, it has been back in the historical place of origin in the immediate vicinity of the Christkindlmarkt in the pedestrian zone between Stachus and Marienplatz around the Richard-Strauss-Brunnen . There hand-carved and industrially manufactured nativity figures in various sizes, materials and shapes, ready-made Christmas cribs, a wide range of accessories for hobbyists as well as Christmas delicacies such as mulled wine , sausages, fruit and confectionery are offered. The stalls are arranged around the Richard Strauss Fountain and in front of the St. Michael Church.
Since the pedestrian zone in Munich was designed in connection with the Olympic Games in 1972 , a Christmas market has been held at the current location in front of the New Town Hall and along Neuhauser Strasse. During this Christmas market, the old Bavarian Munich city crib can be viewed in the inner courtyard of the New Town Hall .
Also worth mentioning are the annual larger Christmas markets at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden , at Sendlinger Tor and at Münchner Freiheit . At the latter, in addition to catering stands, only modern handicrafts from sculpture in wood, ceramics and stone, bookbinding , printmaking , metalworking to goldsmiths are offered. Pink Christmas has been taking place near Sendlinger Tor since 2005, the longest-running queer Christmas market, at which "Pink Hanukkah " was celebrated for the first time in the Jewish tradition in 2018 .
Nuremberg
In Nuremberg, too, there are so-called Advent, Christmas or winter markets in several parts of the city in the run-up to Christmas. One of the most famous in the world and at the same time the largest in the city is the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt. It takes place in the old town of Nuremberg on the main market and the adjacent streets and squares. It developed from a weekly market. The first evidence can be found from 1628. The name "Christkendleinsmarck" is documented at the latest by a town history from 1697.
There are over 180 stalls on the market every year. With around two million visitors a year, it is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. The market opens on the Friday before the first Advent . The last day is December 24th , unless Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday.
In addition to the smaller markets, which are mostly organized by the parishes of the respective district churches and only take place on weekends, the Gostenhof Advent market on Veit-Stoss-Platz and the Christmas village in the Handwerkerhof represent larger markets that are open throughout Advent.
Berlin
There have been Christmas markets in the German capital since the beginning of the 16th century. In the course of time, apart from in old Berlin, they have also developed in municipalities such as Charlottenburg , Friedrichshain and Spandau , which were independent until 1920 . Due to the lack of a grown city center, the Advent and Christmas markets continue to take place decentrally, some are among the most visited in Germany. With interruptions due to the world wars of the 20th century and the division of the city, the Christmas markets developed into a visitor magnet in almost all Berlin districts. In 2008, 45 markets were specified, of which around a dozen will be held over several weeks during the Advent season; in 2017, according to the Berlin city advertising visitberlin.de , there should be more than 50, according to other information, around 80.
An attack on the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Charlottenburg was carried out on December 19, 2016 by an Islamist terrorist who drove a truck onto the Christmas market. In the attack, 12 people were killed and 55 were injured, some seriously.
Bremen
The Christmas market in the city center has around 200 stalls. Stands, booths and rides are represented on the Bremen market square , around the Bremen Roland , as well as on the Domshof . A historicizing maritime market called "Schlachte Winterzauber" is held on the Schlachte promenade , where the area is equipped with special blue lighting. The opening takes place 30 days before December 24th.
Hamburg
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Hamburg hosts a variety of Christmas markets, some of which are concentrated in the city center, while others are spread across the city. The largest and most traditional Christmas market in Hamburg is located in front of the Hanseatic city hall .
Hesse
Darmstadt
The Darmstadt Christmas market has existed since 1947 and stretches from the market square (with the Christmas pyramid on the market fountain ) over Ernst-Ludwigs-Platz and Friedensplatz (there with a large Christmas crib and the gay and lesbian “multi-colored Christmas market”) to Luisenplatz . The old town hall , the Henschel department store and the residential palace form the backdrop . Since the late 1980s, it has been taking place with participation from the Darmstadt twin cities Gyönk , Liepāja , Płock , Saanen - Gstaad , Szeged and Uschhorod . A craft market is attached to Friedensplatz . There are also Christmas markets in the districts of Arheilgen , Bessungen , Eberstadt , Kranichstein and Wixhausen .
Frankfurt am Main
The Frankfurt Christmas Market was first mentioned in a document in 1393. It consists of over 200 stands between the Hauptwache and Mainkai , mainly in the old town on the Römerberg , Paulsplatz and Neue Kräme . With around three million visitors, it is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany.
“Frankfurt Christmas Markets” have also been held in Great Britain since the 1990s and attract a lot of people. The largest Christmas market offshoot with over 80 market stalls and 3.5 million visitors annually is in Birmingham , Frankfurt's twin city.
The gay and lesbian "pink Christmas market" has been taking place on Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz in downtown Frankfurt since 2012.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Rostock
The Rostock Christmas market is considered to be the most important in Northern Germany and every year attracts tens of thousands of tourists from Sweden and Denmark who come to Rostock by ferry across the Baltic Sea on special day and weekend excursions by tour operators. With about 250 stalls, the Rostock Christmas market over 3.2 km stretches from the New Market on the University Square to Kröpeliner Tor down to Fisherman's Bastion, near the city harbor . If you find a hype with its many rides in the area of the fishing bastion, the rest of the route is more tranquil and traditional. There are two stages on Uniplatz and Neuer Markt almost every year. Somewhat hidden next to the university church (monastery of the Holy Cross) has been the historic Christmas market with its medieval flair for several years.
Lower Saxony
Braunschweig
The Christmas market in Braunschweig has over 300 years of tradition, the origins of which go back to around 1500. It takes place around the Brunswick Cathedral and on the Burgplatz and is framed by a structural ensemble of Dankwarderode Castle , the Huneborstel House and the Vieweghaus with the Brunswick Lion in the middle. The more than 140 stalls and stands attract hundreds of thousands every year, in 2008 around 900,000 visitors came.
Hanover
The Hanover Christmas market at the Marktkirche , first mentioned in 1813, consists of around 200 stalls and is visited by around 2 million people every year. Special features are the Finnish Christmas Village , the Wishing Well Forest and the historic Christmas Village with medieval flair. There are also throughout the Advent season on the Lister Meile the Lister mile Christmas market and in front of the main train station the Christmas market Ernst-August-Platz .
North Rhine-Westphalia
Aachen
The Christmas market in Aachen, originally called the Aachen Printenmarkt , takes place with over 120 stalls around the Aachen Cathedral and the Aachen City Hall. It attracts more than 1.5 million people to Aachen every year
Bad Salzuflen
The Bad Salzufler Christmas Dream is a Christmas market in the city center of Bad Salzuflen in East Westphalia-Lippe.
Dortmund
The Dortmund Christmas market with over 300 market stalls has more than 3.6 million visitors every year. In 2016, the Süddeutsche Zeitung stated the number of visitors as around two million people. A particularly large Christmas tree has been erected on Hansaplatz since 1997 : around 1700 individual spruce trees are attached to a 45 m high conical steel frame so that together they look like a very large tree. It is considered the largest Christmas tree in the world. The cost of the Christmas tree is passed on to all dealers. The Mohaba company from Düren produces 100,000 mulled wine cups for the Dortmund Christmas market every year.
eat
The Christmas market in Essen extends through the entire city center. It extends from Willy-Brandt-Platz at the main train station via the Theaterpassage and Kennedyplatz to Viehofer Straße. The 250 stands open at the end of November. The market gets its nationwide uniqueness from the luminous motifs of the Essen light weeks .
Cologne
The Cologne Christmas markets lead the number of visitors across Germany. Of the Cologne Christmas markets, the Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral is the largest with around five million visitors. It stretches across the Domplatte onto Roncalliplatz and houses 160 pavilions with offers primarily from the craft and international gastronomy sectors. Foreign tourists from Great Britain and the Benelux countries in particular travel here by bus.
The Christmas market on the Alter Markt deals with the theme of the brownies , who populate the almost 100 wooden stalls with many small figures. There are different themed lanes that describe the offer; there is, for example, a craftsman's alley where production takes place on site and where visitors participate. The first Cologne Christmas market took place on December 5, 1820 as the "Nicolai Market" on the Alter Markt. On the Neumarkt there is the Christmas market of angels .
Other Christmas markets in Cologne are the one on Rudolfplatz, the harbor Christmas market at the Imhoff Chocolate Museum (until 2010: Medieval Christmas market), the ship Christmas market on the banks of the Rhine and the one in the city garden . Since 2012 there has been a gay and lesbian Christmas market in Cologne on the so-called Christmas Avenue in downtown Cologne.
Saxony
Bautzen
The Bautzener Markt is a small Christmas market, the history of which goes back to 1384, when King Wenzel granted the city the right to hold a free meat market on Saturdays from Michaelmas Day (29 September) to Christmas. This makes it one of the oldest Christmas markets in the German-speaking area. The Bautzen Christmas Market has been officially called the Wenceslas Market since 2009.
Chemnitz
At the end of November, the Chemnitz Christmas market will open around the Chemnitz town hall with over 200 stalls. Both on the Neumarkt and on the Rosenhof there are stalls with handicrafts from the Ore Mountains and local dishes as well as rides. The highlights every year are the medieval market , the regular city hall and tower tours with the Chemnitz tower, a stage program and the traditionally prelude to the mountain parade with around 900 participants.
Dresden
The Dresden Striezelmarkt, the largest of the Christmas markets in Dresden , goes back to a privilege granted by the Saxon Elector Friedrich II. From 1434, who allowed a one-day free market on the Altmarkt “the day before Christmas Eve”. It is one of the oldest Christmas markets in the German-speaking area and is still held annually on the Altmarkt in Dresden. With around 230 stands and two and a half million visitors, it is also one of the most popular in Germany.
Leipzig
The Leipzig Christmas market on the Marktplatz and Augustusplatz as well as the adjacent streets is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany with around 250 stalls. According to a source from 1714, its history goes back to 1458. This makes it one of the oldest Christmas markets in the German-speaking area. Special attractions are an 857 m² free-standing Advent calendar and a historic carousel .
Saxony-Anhalt
Magdeburg
The traditional Magdeburg Christmas market has its origins in a late medieval sales fair on Domplatz. Today it takes place every year from the Monday after the Sunday of the Dead until December 30th on the Old Market in the architectural ensemble of the Old and New Town Hall , the Johanniskirche and the famous Magdeburg rider . The Christmas market attracts around 1.6 million people every year with over 135 stalls and showmen.
The attractions include the “Historic Christmas Market” with its medieval flair, located right next to the Old Town Hall, the Märchengasse, in which various children's stories are re-enacted, a 450 m² ice rink and the Nordic Mile. A new lighting concept will come into effect at the Christmas market in 2019; this includes 1.1 million LED light points, 320 decorated lanterns and 60 large elements.
Thuringia
Erfurt
The Erfurt Christmas Market takes place on Domplatz . Offshoots of the Christmas market can also be found in the rest of the city center of Erfurt and extend over the fish market , the Schlösserbrücke, the Anger up to the Willy-Brandt-Platz . The Erfurt Christmas Market is visited by around 2 million people every year.
In the middle of the Christmas market, a 25 meter high fir tree is erected every year. An eight meter high Christmas pyramid has been located at the entrance to the Christmas market since 2005, depicting people from Erfurt's history and Christmas scenes on five floors.
More Christmas markets in Germany
Baden-Württemberg
- Biberach an der Riß : The Biberach Christkindles Market takes place from the 1st to the 3rd Advent weekend on the market square with over 70 huts, a lively nativity scene and a diverse stage program.
- Bretten : In addition to its normal Christmas market, the old town of Bretten also houses a craft market and a covered ice rink. The highlight of the Christmas market is the annual festival of lights on the 2nd Advent.
- Esslingen am Neckar : Medieval market and Christmas market in the old town, with a Christmas pyramid approx. Eleven meters high .
- Freiburg im Breisgau : From November 21st to December 23rd (with the exception of Sunday in the dead ) the Christmas market takes place on the historic Rathausplatz, in Franziskaner- and Turmstraße, on the potato market and on Unterlinden, on Sundays also on the Kaiser Joseph Street . In 2019 a piece of the Rotteckring was added. It has been held since 1973, but there was already a Christmas market on Münsterplatz in the 19th century . In addition to over 110 stalls, there is a nativity scene exhibition in the cloister of the St. Martin monastery church and an ecumenical Advent impulse in the church every day. Many guests come from France, Italy and Switzerland.
- Heilbronn : The Heilbronn Christmas market takes place four weeks during Advent on the market square between the town hall and Kilian's Church , around Kiliansplatz, in Sülmer City and Fleiner Straße. There are around 100 wooden houses and for children, among other things, a children's area with a carousel, a train and a crib.
- Karlsruhe : The Karlsruhe Christkindlesmarkt with its more than 120 stalls takes place on the central market square and in the adjacent streets. Special features are the ice age , an outdoor artificial ice rink and a 17 meter high mulled wine pyramid.
- Constance : For more than 30 years, the Christmas market on the lake has been one of the largest on Lake Constance . From the historic old town to the harbor, around 170 Christmas stalls invite over 450,000 visitors to stroll and linger.
- Ludwigsburg : Baroque Christmas market with over 170 stalls on the market square.
- Mannheim : The Christmas market in Mannheim takes place with over 200 stalls directly at the Mannheim water tower .
- Maulbronn : Every second weekend in December, the Christmas market takes place against the backdrop of the Maulbronn Monastery. Over 120 stalls offer handicrafts and homemade items.
- Pforzheim : The Golden Pforzheim Christmas Market takes place on the Pforzheim market square.
- Rudersberg : Here the market on Advent weekends on the Old Town Hall Square is designed as a walk-in Advent forest covered with light nets using many firs and spruces . The Swabian Forest Railway offers steam train rides.
- Schwäbisch Hall : Since 2011, the market has been held on the market square in front of the large staircase of the St. Michael church . Musical performances take place every day.
- Schwetzingen : The Christmas market takes place every year on the three Advent weekends in December against the backdrop of Schwetzingen Castle . In addition to various Christmas huts, there is also a stage program and an ice rink.
- Tübingen : Christmas market in the entire city center, always on a long weekend in December. Most of the stands are run by private individuals or associations from the region.
- Ulm : The Christmas market takes place every year from the Monday after the Sunday of the Dead up to and including December 22nd on the Münsterplatz in front of the Gothic cathedral and has more than one million visitors from Germany and abroad every year.
Bavaria
- Altötting : The market is located on Kapellplatz around the Altöttinger Gnadenkapelle and has around 70 stalls.
- Amberg / Upper Palatinate: In the four weeks before Christmas Eve, the city of Amberg's Christmas market is located on the market square in front of the Amberg town hall and right next to the Martinskirche .
- Bad Reichenhall : The Reichenhaller Christkindlmarkt always takes place from the first Advent until Christmas Eve in front of the town hall on the so-called Rathausplatz.
- Bad Tölz : This is where the Tölz Christmas market takes place. This almost four-week Christmas market has its place in the historic Marktstrasse.
- Bamberg : The Bamberg Christmas market takes place on the "Maxplatz" for about four weeks until December 23rd, which is also a stop on the Bamberg Nativity Path . Other markets, especially handicrafts, are held elsewhere.
- Coburg : The Coburg Christmas Market is held on the picturesque market square.
- Dinkelsbühl : The Christmas market takes place in the hospital complex.
- Eichstätt : The Cathedral Square and the former Johanniskirche form the picturesque backdrop for the Eichstätter Advent market. A high-quality and varied music program and imaginative children's activities such as decorating Christmas trees together and fairy tale readings for children and adults make the small Advent market a special experience.
- Freising : Advent begins with the magic of Advent on Domberg on the first weekend in Advent.
- Fürth : There are around 50 stalls annually at the Christmas market on Fürther Freiheit , on the southern part of Fürther Freiheit the Medieval Christmas Market for Fürther Freiheit takes place with its own stage program, jugglers and walking acts. There is also an artisan Christmas market on the Waagplatz from the 2nd to the 3rd weekend in Advent.
- Ingolstadt : The Ingolstadt Christmas Market, which has been held since 1570, is one of the oldest in Bavaria and takes place on the Theaterplatz between the city theater, Herzogskasten and Viktualienmarkt.
- Landsberg am Lech : Small Christmas market located directly at the main church. With around 40 wooden stalls and stands and a colorful supporting program, such as a visit to St. Nicholas, a Christkindl audience, a night watchman tour and Advent baking for children. Open daily until December 23rd.
- Landshut : Small Christmas market in Freyung , a little away from the old town. Open daily from the Friday before the 1st Advent until December 23rd.
- Nördlingen : The Christmas market in the historic old town of Nördlingen with more than 60 stalls and a living nativity scene takes place every day from the end of November until the Christmas holidays.
- Oberstdorf : On the four Advent weekends, there is a small market in front of and in the Kurhaus (Oberstdorf-Haus) with stalls from non-profit and charitable organizations and regional providers of B. Handicrafts instead. At the same time, various events are held as part of Oberstdorf Advent (customs, music, singing, dialect) in order to bring the contemplative side of Advent back to the fore, as the organizers describe the concept.
- Regensburg : The stalls of the Christmas market are set up on the Neupfarrplatz around the Neupfarrkirche . In addition, there is now a craft market on Haidplatz, a small market on Danube Island in the Stadtamhof district and the romantic Christmas market on the grounds of St. Emmeram Castle , which is chargeable.
- Rothenbuch : The Christmas market takes place in front of Rothenbuch Castle on the first weekend in Advent.
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber : Since the 15th century, the Advent season in Rothenburg ob der Tauber has been accompanied by a Christmas market, the "Rothenburger Reiterlesmarkt". Around 60 stalls around the town hall and on the green market offer handicrafts, Christmas pastries and white mulled wine.
- Trausnitz : Christmas market / Advent market at Trausnitz Castle in the valley under the motto "Winter Magic". The medieval Christmas market at Trausnitz Castle in the valley offers a nativity scene exhibition, traders, handicraft demonstrations, music and magic lights.
- Waldkraiburg : The Waldkraiburg Christmas market takes place on the first weekend in December. A special feature are the culinary and often musical offers from all over the world, which are related to the cultural diversity of the Waldkraiburg population.
- Weiden : The Christmas market, which has been documented since 1600, is held against the backdrop of the Old Town Hall. Every day from December to Christmas Eve, two schoolchildren disguised as angels open a window in the old town hall with a motif behind it, as in an advent calendar .
- Wolfratshausen : The Christmas market always takes place on the first weekend in Advent with around 30 stalls on the main street, which is closed for this purpose. Because of alleged binge drinking, the city council decided in December 2011 to ban alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 15 percent on the market from 2012.
Brandenburg
- Bad Liebenwerda : On the last weekend of Advent, the Christmas market takes place around the market square of the spa town. Here, too, a tunnel is cut. Every year there is a concert in the neighboring church.
- Cottbus : The Cottbus “Christmas Market of 1000 Stars” takes place from the end of November to the end of December on the Altmarkt, the road to the Spremberger Tower and the square at the city fountain. The name comes from the Moravian stars that are hung .
- Potsdam : The central, historical Christmas market takes place every year during the Advent season on Brandenburger Strasse and Luisenplatz and is the largest Christmas market in Brandenburg .
Bremen
- Bremen : The Bremen Christmas market offers a richly decorated city center and a medieval-looking part on the banks of the Weser.
- Bremerhaven : The Bremerhaven Christmas World by the Sea offers a fairytale forest and many small fairy tale booths for children. There is also a regular toboggan run.
Hesse
- Homberg (Efze) : The Christmas market known as Clobesmarkt takes place on the historic market square every year around St. Nicholas Day.
- Fulda : In the city center around the historic parish church as well as on Universitätsplatz, Jesuitenplatz, Borgiasplatz and in the museum courtyard there is a Christmas market with around 80 stalls.
- Kassel The Kassel Christmas Market on the Friedrichsplatz and the king place takes place, takes fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm motto and is called fairytale Christmas market .
- Rüdesheim : The Nations Christmas Market has several hundred thousand visitors and stands from two dozen countries around the world every year.
- Wiesbaden : The Wiesbaden shooting star market takes place from Tuesday after the Sunday of the Dead until December 23 on the centrally located Schlossplatz and the adjacent streets around the castle ( Hessian state parliament ), town hall and market church . Hundreds of thousands of visitors visit the market on around 28 days of the event.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Greifswald : In Greifswald there is not only the Christmas market on the historic market square, but also a Christmas craft market in the vaulted cellar of the town hall during Advent and a craft market in the Pomeranian State Museum on the first weekend of Advent . In addition, on the occasion of the Swedish Lucia Festival on December 13th (as well as at the markets in Stralsund and Wismar) a Lucia and her entourage will visit the market to delight the visitors with traditional Swedish Christmas carols.
- Schwerin : The Schwerin Christmas market is held around the old town market, including a large fir tree with 10,000 lights and an eight meter high Christmas pyramid.
- Stralsund : The Stralsund Christmas market is located in downtown Stralsund from the old to the new market and in the town hall cellar. It can already be proven in a privilege granted by Duke Bogislaw X. of Pomerania from 1512 and is therefore the oldest documented evidence on the Baltic coast.
- Wismar : From the end of November until just before Christmas, the Wismar Christmas market takes place on the historic market square. In the Swedish-style Christmas huts, culinary specialties as well as handicrafts and Christmas items are offered, and there is a fairy tale forest next to the water art .
Lower Saxony
- Einbeck : The Einbeck Christmas Market takes place annually on the Einbeck market square .
- Goslar : The Goslar Christmas Market takes place on the historic market square and the surrounding alleys. A special feature is the fir forest built for the market .
- Göttingen : The Christmas market traditionally takes place on the square in front of the old town hall and around the Johanniskirche.
- Hildesheim : The Hildesheim Christmas market takes place on the historic market square of the city and the square behind the town hall (the so-called lily ).
- Oldenburg : The Oldenburg Lambertimarkt opens in the week before the First Advent and usually lasts until December 22nd. In the middle of the pedestrian zone around the Lambertikirche and in front of the Oldenburg Castle, over 125 wooden huts present handicrafts, toys, Christmas tree decorations and much more. Festive trumpet music sounds at the town hall every Saturday at 5 p.m. The castle has been transformed into an oversized advent calendar; Every day at 4 p.m. from December 1st, a door on the castle calendar opens . A large nativity scene is set up at the Lambertikirche.
- Osnabrück : The stalls of the Osnabrück Christmas market are between the town hall and the cathedral. On the Christmas market there is the largest Christmas music box in the world, which turns to the sound of 25 different Christmas carols, and a fully functional nutcracker over six meters tall. The market opens in the week before the First Advent and usually lasts until December 22nd. The Osnabrück Christmas Market was visited by around 600,000 people in 2008.
- Wolfenbüttel : At the Christmas market in front of the historic Wolfenbüttel town hall, it is a tradition that a Norwegian peace fir is set up on December 1st every year . In 2012 a fir tree was ceremoniously presented to the public for the 50th time.
North Rhine-Westphalia
- Bielefeld : In Bielefeld, the Christmas market takes place with around 120 stalls on the Alter Markt and Jahnplatz as well as the adjacent streets. A Christmas market is also held on Siegfriedplatz on an Advent Saturday. The windows of the Telekom skyscraper are illuminated as a Christmas tree during this time.
- Bonn : The place for the Bonn Christmas market is the Münsterplatz in front of the backdrop of the Bonn Minster . For several years it has expanded into Vivatsgasse and Mülheimer Platz up to Friedensplatz and encloses the building complex of the old Bonn post office. An ice rink has been set up on Friedensplatz for several years. Since the year 2000, the “Kirchenmeile” organized by the Catholic and Protestant Churches directly at Bonn Minster has given the Christmas market an Advent impulse.
- Duisburg : The Christmas market is located in the city center. There is a Ferris wheel, an ice rink and over a hundred stalls, among other things. A special feature are blue cones of light as Christmas lights.
- Düsseldorf : Düsseldorf's inner city is home to three larger Christmas markets : in the old town in front of the town hall and around the Jan-Wellem equestrian statue, the so-called Nikolausdorf , the Engelchen-Markt on Heinrich-Heine-Allee and the Christmas market on Schadow- and Jan-Wellem- Place in the area of the pedestrian zone Schadowstrasse . There are other smaller markets on the Stadtbrückchen , in various pedestrian zones in the old town and in the city districts.
- Münster : In Münster's city center there are a total of five Christmas markets with around 300 stalls. The largest and oldest of these is the market in the inner courtyard (it has existed since 1970). The light market in front of the Lambertikirche on Prinzipalmarkt, where a 20 meter high fir tree is set up, and the Aegidiimarkt with the Pferdegasse are among the larger markets. There are also the markets at the Kiepenkerl and, since 2009, the Giebelhüüskesmarkt at the Überwasserkirche .
- Neuss : Christmas market in one of the oldest cities in Germany, in front of the St. Quirinus Minster and the historic Vogthaus. On Christmas Eve, the crib is transferred from the Christmas market to the basilica.
- Paderborn : The Paderborn Christmas market takes place on the Domplatz.
- Siegburg : For three weeks the Siegburg market square is the scene of a medieval market at Christmas time .
- Soest : The Christmas market is held on Petrikirchplatz, Marktplatz and Vreithof in Soest's old town.
- Unna : In the historic old town, the Christmas market with around 80 stalls is open throughout Advent.
- Wuppertal : Several Christmas markets take place every year in Wuppertal, on the one hand the Elberfelder Lichtermarkt in the pedestrian zone of the Elberfeld city center and the medieval fairytale market on Laurentiusplatz . The Barmer Christmas Market takes place on Johannes-Rau-Platz , in the immediate vicinity of the Barmer Town Hall . There are also two smaller Christmas markets in Vohwinkel , namely the traditional Christmas market at Lüntenbeck Castle and the Christmas market on the forecourt of the Church of the Conception of Mary on Edith-Stein-Strasse / Gustavstrasse.
Rhineland-Palatinate
- Kaiserslautern : The Christmas market takes place across the Kaiserslautern pedestrian zone and at Stiftsplatz and is particularly characterized by its many mulled wine stalls.
- Landau in der Pfalz : The Thomas-Nast-Nikolausmarkt takes place every year on the town hall square.
- Mainz : The Christmas market took place for the first time in 1788 as "Nikolose Market". Nowadays the Christmas market takes place around the Mainz Cathedral .
- Saarburg : On the third weekend in Advent, a Victorian Christmas market takes place in the old bell foundry in Saarburg , which is particularly popular with steampunk fans.
- Worms : The Christmas market in the “ Nibelung City ” is marketed as the “Nibelung Christmas”. The Evangelical Luther Church has been performing an "alternative nativity play" since 2014 with a sequence of biblical and contemporary quotes on the subject of "No to anti-Semitism and misanthropy", in 2019 despite a ban on the part of the city of Worms. In 2019, the NPD distributed propaganda material for the so-called “Day of the German Future”, which the group wants to hold in Worms in 2020, at a stand at the Christmas market.
- Trier : The Christmas market first took place on Trier's main market in 1978. The Domfreihof has also been used for stalls since 1999.
Saarland
- Saarbrücken : The Christmas market takes place on St. Johanner Markt and Bahnhofstrasse and shows a "flying Santa Claus" twice a day.
Saxony
- Freiberg : The Freiberg Christmas market takes place on the upper market in the mountain town of Freiberg, which is surrounded by medieval town houses. This gives the market a special inimitable atmosphere and it is a typical Erzgebirge Christmas market, which is expressed by the strong reference to mining and the typical Christmas decorations of this region, smokers, candle arches, miners and angel figures or the Christmas pyramids.
- Görlitz : The Silesian Christkindelmarkt (Silesian: Schläscher Christkindlmoarkt) is a Christmas market in the historical ambience of Görlitz's old town.
- Königstein : At the Königstein Fortress, the historical market for playmakers and craftsmen with an underground Christmas casemate and, according to the company, the longest Advent calendar in Germany. Open on all four Advent weekends.
- Kürbitz : The Christmas exhibition with Christmas market takes place annually on the second weekend in December. Antique toys and collectibles are shown in the exhibition. The exhibitors present old shops, dolls, dollhouses, trains, steam engines and much more.
- Oelsnitz / Erzgeb. forms the prelude to the miners' Christmas markets in the Ore Mountains every year. On the Friday evening before the 1st Advent the city pyramid is solemnly set in motion with the children shouting "push on". The highlight of the Christmas market weekend is the mountain parade with more than 175 mountain musicians and people wearing traditional costumes. The highlight of Advent Sunday was often a fairy tale parade.
Saxony-Anhalt
- Halle (Saale) : The Christmas market takes place on the market square from the end of November to December 28th, there are also smaller markets such as the one in the historic Tausch & Grosse Hof.
- Quedlinburg : The Quedlinburg Christmas market takes place on the large market square.
Schleswig-Holstein
- Barmstedt : The whole city center of Barmstedt is a big festival for young and old with over 150 stalls on the first weekend of Advent, Friday to Sunday. The craft market around the Holy Spirit Church and the medieval / historical market on the market square are particularly recommended .
- Flensburg : The Flensburg Christmas market stretches from the Nordermarkt to the Südermarkt , which is where it focuses. Thanks to its numerous Danish guests from the surrounding area, it has a slightly Scandinavian flair. The Christmas market begins with the wake of Santa Claus at the Nordermarkt and the illumination of the large fir tree on the Südermarkt. A little away from downtown Flensburg in the northern suburb of Harrislee , a Christmas market is also held on the market square there on the first weekend of Advent. This is followed by the traditional Christmas market in the suburb of Wees on the east side of the city on the second weekend of Advent . On the third weekend of Advent there is a Christmas market in the neighboring Glücksburg . The Flensburg Christmas Market is known as the northernmost of the large Christmas markets in Germany. It starts at the end of November, the stalls are open from Monday to Saturday and it traditionally ends on December 31st.
- Kiel : The Christmas market in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital takes place in the city center during the Advent weeks. Various vendors advertise handmade goods, but there are also small treats for every taste. The sales booths stretch through the pedestrian zone, starting at Holstenplatz through Holstenstrasse to the Old Market. A coveted collector's item is the Kiel Christmas market mug, which can be purchased at various punch stands and on which Kiel motifs change every year.
- Lübeck : The Christmas market takes place every year in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. In addition to the traditional Christmas market with numerous stalls on the market , there are other markets in the side streets of Lübeck's old town. The craft market in the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital am Koberg has over 50,000 visitors every year.
Thuringia
- Gera : The Gera fairy tale Christmas market is located on the square in front of the historic town hall as well as on Johannisstrasse, Bachgasse, Museumplatz and Schloßstrasse. There are various fairy tale characters and 115 stalls. A Christmas tree is decorated with 10,000 LED lights.
- Jena : The Jena Christmas Market, which is considered the oldest Christmas market in Thuringia, was first held in 1803. A special feature is the Christmas tower blowing that takes place every day at 5 p.m.
- Lauscha : The Lauschaer Kugelmarkt has developed into a special market for Christmas tree decorations made of glass in Germany. On the first two weekends in Advent, the whole city center is transformed into a pedestrian zone.
Visitor numbers and economic importance
Christmas markets represent an economic factor for the municipalities, the retail trade and the market feeders. For city tourism, they are considered to be a source of inspiration, bringing visitors from outside into the city. Around 2 million visitors are expected to come from abroad; in Cologne, for example, groups of visitors come from the Benelux countries and Great Britain .
According to a study by IFT Freizeit- und Tourismusberatung from 2012, the German Christmas markets had 85 million visitors in 2012, which was 70% more than in 2000. According to reports from 2013, total sales at the Christmas markets reached € 2.5 billion. The Federal Association of Showmen and Market Merchants, which also takes small markets into account, on the other hand, expects 160 million visits to 2,500 markets and sales of € 5 billion. According to this association, the Christmas markets employ 188,000 full-time workers. Each visitor spends an average of € 12 on the Christmas markets and another € 20 in the vicinity. According to IVG Research, the Nuremberg Christmas market alone brings 170,000 additional overnight stays to the Nuremberg hotel industry. 90% of the fairground businesses take part in Christmas markets, where they generate 28.5% of their annual sales totaling € 3.7 billion. In addition, restaurants, hotels, taxis and bus and train companies benefit from the Christmas markets.
Discussion about renaming
With the emergence of the Pegida movement, but at the latest since the refugee crisis in Europe from 2015 onwards , reports were piling up in social networks and occasionally in press reports that more and more Christmas markets “out of consideration for Muslims ” who might be bothered by the Christian relationship more neutral designations such as "winter market" are provided. These reports and fears are repeatedly presented, perceived and commented on as evidence of an alleged Islamization and abandonment of cultural identity, even though they turned out to be misinformation or misinterpretation in the identifiable cases:
- The AfD- close ex- CDU politician Erika Steinbach criticized the “light market” in Elmshorn in a tweet on November 14, 2017 , for which a poster with a dark-skinned child as an angel is advertised, with which Germany's “culture and tradition are so overboard throws ". It sparked a wave of hate comments on Facebook and Twitter. In fact, the renaming had already been carried out in 2007 when there was a change of operator, alluding to a new lighting concept, while the poster motif had been used since 2011 and none of these decisions were made out of cultural consideration.
- A post by an anonymous blogger about a Christmas market in a district of Vienna was shared by more than 1000 Facebook users. In it, photos of sales tents without Christmas lights and decorations served as evidence that the intention was not to “bother the hordes of invaders with Western culture”. In reality, the pictures showed a Christmas market under construction (the post was published on November 10, 2017), and one photo even showed a forklift. The Meidlinger Christkindlmarkt in question only opened on November 28th.
- A “winter market” in the Munich Airport Center is also presented every year in right-wing populist circles as an example of an “Islamized” event, although this market has been called that since 2006 because it remains open beyond Christmas until the end of the year and the operators represent this conceptually wanted to.
- In December 2014, Bild am Sonntag spread a story according to which a Christmas market in Berlin-Kreuzberg had been banned by the decision of the “district parliament” because no permits were given for “events by religious communities in public space”. The market should therefore be called "Winterfest" recently. In addition, the paper also brought out a survey in which most Germans spoke out against renaming Christmas markets. The entire report, which was repeatedly shared and commented on by right-wing populist groups, but also by other newspapers, blogs and politicians , turned out to be misinformation: In 2007, when a Ramadan celebration was banned, the responsible district office had stipulated forms of “religious self-expression in public space ”, but at no point were Christmas markets affected. While several Christmas markets take place annually in the Kreuzberg district, the organizers of the “Kreuzberg Winter Market”, which took place for the first time that year, freely chose the other name.
- In 2017, the AfD Saxony wrote on its homepage that “this year more and more often” will be advertised with a light market , and claimed that Christmas will be “systematically canceled” in a “series of cultural, German kowtowing ” in front of Muslims. The examples cited seven of the AFD for lights markets, however, there for years, some even for decades, so the lights market in Munster, one of the local five Christmas markets, which is available since 1987 and also the addition in the name of St. Lambert bears, named after the local church of St. Lamberti . The Bergkamen light market, also called by the AfD, is not a Christmas market at all, but takes place annually at the end of October and is an event with a focus on light, fire, theater and art performances.
Austria
Vienna
In 1382 Duke Albrecht III was given the privilege to hold a December market . granted. The Katharinenmarkt, which lasted 14 days before and 14 days after November 25th, existed from this year, 1382.
Old Viennese records show that in 1626 a market similar to the later so-called Christkindlmarkt was held in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral . The stalls were in the period from December 16 to January 9, and goods from Peckn, Lebzelter and Zuggerpacher were offered. This market was abandoned in 1761.
The modern Vienna Christmas market dates back to 1764. Over the centuries it often changed its location, as it initially competed with traditional fairs. So he moved from Freyung to Am Hof square , was also on the Neubaugürtel and in front of the Messepalast . The last time he had to vacate his space in 1975 to build an underground car park, he moved to the Rathauspark .
The Vienna Christkindlmarkt in front of the Vienna City Hall is the largest Austrian Christmas market (2012: 148 stalls, 39 of which sell groceries (chestnuts, confectionery, punch and food stalls)). As the magic of Advent in Vienna , it has become a considerable economic factor. In 2010, more than three million visitors, including 500,000 from abroad, came to these events.
One of the attractions of the Vienna Christkindlmarkt is the Christmas tree in front of the town hall with around 1000 LED lamps. The tree traditionally comes from one of the Austrian federal states and was a gift from Lower Austria in 2012. The spruce, which is around 120 years old and 32 meters high, came from Schwarzenbach an der Pielach.
In 2015, the tree on Rathausplatz came from Pfunds , Landeck district, which is why Mayor Häupl and Tyrolean Governor Günther Platter (ÖVP) planned the opening speech with the lighting of the tree switched on on Saturday, November 14th at 5:30 p.m.
For the first time in 2015, the store opened an “unofficial” day earlier, with November 13th as a trial run, and was open two days longer, until December 26th. The tree stood until January 6, 2016. The terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015 in Paris prompted Häupl to cancel the opening ceremony and the illumination and to let the high-beam fountain on Schwarzenbergplatz shine in the French national colors for a few days until it was wintered. 1,600 LED lights on the Christmas tree were exchanged in order to shine in solidarity in the colors blue, white and red from the illumination on December 19th.
In 2011 there were 17 other large Christmas markets in Vienna. In extracts these were:
- on the Freyung (old Viennese Christmas market)
- am Spittelberg in the seventh district of Vienna
- in front of Schönbrunn Palace
- in the first courtyard of the old general hospital
- on Karlsplatz in front of the Karlskirche
- in front of the Upper Belvedere
- In the court
- in Mahlerstraße in the first district of Vienna
- at the Naschmarkt: Pink Christmas (queer) with 70 huts
- at Maria-Theresien-Platz
- in the Palais Pálffy on Josefsplatz
- in front of the Maria Hilf church
- at Viktor Adler Platz
- at Meidlinger Platzel
- in the Türkenschanzpark
- at Franz-Jonas-Platz
Carinthia
- Villach : Villach has a Christmas market that is especially popular with Italians.
- Klagenfurt : The Christmas market took place in front of the town hall on Neuer Platz until 2011, and has been held on Neuer Platz and Domplatz since 2012. Many side streets are included. Extensive supporting program, e.g. B. Choir singing, shepherd music, tying an Advent wreath , ice rink (made of plastic sheets).
Lower Austria
- Wiener Neustadt : In Wiener Neustadt, the entire city center is decorated with fairy lights every year and a Christmas market with an ice rink and many attractions takes place on the main square, it is held under the motto Magic in Advent .
Upper Austria
- Linz : Two large Advent markets are held on the main square and in the Volksgarten, which usually start in mid-November.
- Wels : The Wels Christmas world includes the mountain Christmas on the town square, the Christmas market in Pollheimerpark and the Gösser beer garden Advent.
- Schloss Weinberg : An artisan Christmas market with around 150 exhibitors in Schloss Weinberg, always on the 2nd weekend in Advent.
- Gmunden : The Schlösser Advent and Traunsee Christmas take place annually at Ort Castle .
- Mondsee : The Advent market in Mondsee is held every year on Advent weekends in front of the Mondsee basilica and in the cloister of the former Mondsee monastery .
- Steyr : The Christmas market in Steyr (near the Werndl monument ) begins every year at the end of November and takes place on the weekends. Around 90,000 visitors are expected annually to send their congratulations to the Christkindl in the Christmas post office.
- Perg : With a musical variety and around 45 exhibitors from the fields of handicrafts, gift ideas and gastronomy, the “Musical Christkindlmarkt Perg” has been held on the 2nd weekend in Advent since 1977.
Salzburg
- Salzburg : Traditional Christmas market in the old town (Christkindlmarkt), whose roots go back to the end of the 15th century. There are also smaller Advent markets, for example in Hellbrunn Palace , Waldklang in Waldbad Anif.
- St. Leonhard bei Grödig : In 1973, Franz Nikolasch founded the Advent market in St. Leonhard, which has since taken place every year on the Advent weekends at the foot of the Untersberg in the municipality of Grödig near Salzburg. The Advent celebrations and musically designed festival masses in the pilgrimage church of St. Leonhard are an integral part.
Styria
- Graz : Advent in Graz offers several markets: Hauptplatz (Christkindlmarkt), Franziskanerplatz (Altgrazer Christkindlmarkt), Am Eisernen Tor (Advent enjoyment), Tummelplatz (colorful foods from all over the world), Mariahilferplatz (Wonderlend), Glockenspielplatz and Mehlplatz (Advent markets), Färberplatz (Handicrafts), Karmeliterplatz (winter world).
- Mariazell : Mariazeller Advent, partner of the umbrella brand Advent Austria. Special religious component as a place of pilgrimage. Special offers for arrival with the Mariazellerbahn .
- Leoben : Large Advent market located directly on Leoben's main square, open daily during Advent. With its own Christkindl post office, handicraft market, daily Christmas stage and, since 2009, its own Leoben Christkind.
- Burgau : Large Christmas market in Burgau Castle, open daily from the beginning of November to December 24th. With over a hundred artisans from Austria, a Christmas post office and a coffee house.
Tyrol
- Innsbruck : From 1657 the Nikolausmarkt was held on December 5th and 6th, first on the town square , from 1861 on Maria-Theresien-Straße and from 1926 on Wilhelm-Greil-Straße. The Thomasmarkt, which was mentioned for the first time in 1648 and was held on Monday in the quarter of November, i.e. around December 15th, was even older . At the beginning of the 20th century it had its greatest extent and filled several streets in the city center. In 1960 the Nikolausmarkt and the Thomasmarkt were relocated to the Marktplatz and the Innrain , in the same year there was for the first time a small Christmas market in the old town from December 20th to 24th. Since 1965 the Christmas market has been held regularly in Herzog-Friedrich-Straße in front of the Golden Roof , where the large Christmas tree has been set up since 1930. From 1994 to 2006 there was also a Christmas market on Landhausplatz , which was moved to Marktplatz in 2006. Further markets have been held in Maria-Theresien-Strasse and on the Hungerburg since 2007 and in St. Nikolaus since 2013 . A 16 meter high crystal tree with 170,000 Swarovski crystals has been set up on the Christmas market on the market square since 2012 .
- Kitzbühel : The Kitzbühel Christmas Market is part of Advent in the mountains .
- Kufstein : In addition to the Christmas market in the city park, which is open from the end of November to December 23, there is also a market with culinary and local handicrafts and gift ideas at the fortress on the Advent weekends under the name Christmas Magic.
Vorarlberg
- Bregenz : Several smaller markets. The largest market in the Christmas season is the "Klosamarkt" (St. Nicholas Market), which takes place on December 6th in the city center.
- Dornbirn : Small Christmas market.
Luxembourg
- The largest Christmas market in Luxembourg is the Christmas market in the capital Luxembourg on the Place d'Armes and the adjacent Rue du Curé and with 70 stalls for German claims rather small.
- The second largest Christmas market in Luxembourg is the Christmas market in Esch an der Alzette . The Christmas market with 25 stalls is located on Place de la Résistance and Rue de l'Alzette. The life-size figures of the Christmas crib on the Place de la Résistance are a big attraction .
Switzerland
- Basel : The Christmas market in Basel is part of the “Basel Christmas”. It takes place on Barfüsserplatz and since 2011 on Münsterplatz and in 2012 comprised 188 stands. With 600,000 visitors, it is regarded as the Christmas market with the most visitors in Switzerland.
- Bern : The Bern Christmas Market on Münsterplatz has around 40 stalls, and another 60 on Waisenhausplatz until December 23rd.
- Bremgarten AG : With over 100,000 visitors and over 300 market stalls, Bremgarten has the largest Christmas market in Switzerland; the market takes place over four days at the beginning of December.
- Lucerne : In the first two weeks of December, the Lucerne Christmas market with around 80 stalls takes place on Franziskanerplatz. A second market, the Lucerne Christkindlimarkt in the train station , takes place from the end of November until before Christmas Eve .
- Einsiedeln : Christmas market with around 130 stalls in central Switzerland in front of the monastery .
- Solothurn : The Solothurn Christmas market started again in 2010 with over 70 stands.
- Stein am Rhein : Since 2001 - "Märliweg" - a fairytale atmosphere in the small old town for the whole month of December (until December 31).
- Winterthur : “Christmas Market” - since 2001 around 110 wooden chalets in the old town until December 23, 2013 with 300,000 visitors.
- Rapperswil-Jona : “Christkindlimärt” - in the old town of Rapperswil since 2002 , around 20,000 visitors every mid-December.
- Zurich : Zurich Christkindlimarkt in the main train station from the end of November to Christmas Eve, over 150 market houses under one roof, also in Niederdorf , on Werdmühleplatz and on Sechseläutenplatz with 100 huts and an ice rink.
Christmas market on the ...
… Sechseläutenplatz in Zurich
Italy
Bolzano
The Bolzano Christmas Market was founded in 1990 and is the largest and first Christmas market in Italy . It takes place at Waltherplatz in Bolzano . The market has around 80 stalls. Since 2006 there has been a second Christmas market in Bolzano with around 15 additional stalls, called the Winter Forest . It is located in the garden of the Palais Campofranco. In the old town of Bolzano there are other side markets such as the handicraft market on Rathausplatz, the Solidarity Christmas market in some streets of the old town and on Kornplatz (around 30 stalls). In total there are around 150 stalls in the old town. In 2005 around 1.2 million people visited the Bolzano Christmas market (2004: 850,000). It is the most popular Christmas market in South Tyrol and Italy.
Meran
The Merano Advent Market was held for the first time in 1992. Merchants in Laubengasse, a central shopping street in downtown Merano, wanted to organize an event for the already existing traditional Merano Advent , which was carried out by the Merano Old Town Association, and for this purpose joined forces to form the Association of Merchants Active . To this end, around 35 sales stalls were set up at two central locations. A few years later the “Merano Advent Market” was relocated to Freiheitsstraße and the adjoining Sparkassenstraße. The Christmas market grew to 60 stalls. Since 2001, the second largest Christmas market in South Tyrol after Bolzano has been on the newly designed Passer promenade, in front of the Art Nouveau facade of the Merano Kurhaus and has around 80 stalls. In 2000 the “Merano Advent Market” attracted attention with the installation of the so-called Merano winter light tree by the artist Georg Lechner, which is made of Lasa marble . Due to its size and weight, the art installation was included in the Guinness Book of Records . From 2013, the planning, organization and implementation of the Christmas market will be in the hands of the Merano spa administration for five years.
Lana
The “Sterntaler Christmas Market” with 20 Christmas stalls is held in Lana on the Advent weekends.
More Christmas markets in Italy
After the tourist success of the South Tyrolean Christmas markets with the Italian public, to which the official Christmas markets in Sterzing, Brixen and Bruneck also contributed, in recent years separate Christmas markets based on the South Tyrolean model have been opened in other parts of Italy, first in Trentino , based on his Austro-Hungarian past tries to reproduce the flair of the markets in German-speaking countries. Although many of the goods on offer really come from the Trentino tradition (such as tents ), many others have also been introduced. The market in Trento has around 70 stalls.
In Italy there are smaller Christmas markets, for example in Arco (Trentino) , Belluno , Turin , Florence , Livigno and Udine .
France
Strasbourg (Alsace)
There are also traditional Christmas markets in France, mainly in Alsace and Lorraine . The largest Christmas market outside of today's Germany is often the Christkindelsmärik , which has been held in Strasbourg since 1570 and is therefore the oldest market in France with over 300 market stalls in the old town and over two million visitors.
Nordic countries
The traditional Stockholm Christmas Market (Julmarknad) takes place annually in the old town ( Gamla stan ) . Since 1915 there have been 38 falun red stalls on Stortorget selling traditional Swedish products such as crispbread, smoked salmon, sausages, sweets and glögg (Swedish mulled wine ), as well as artisanal items. The market starts a month before Christmas and ends on December 23rd. The Christmas market in Stockholm's open-air museum Skansen has been held every weekend during Advent since 1903.
There are several Christmas markets in Oslo , including one in the city center in Spikersuppa.
A Christmas market is held annually in Copenhagen around the picturesque Nyhavn.
The largest and oldest Christmas market in Helsinki is located in the city center on Senate Square.
In Iceland , there is no traditional Christmas markets, only in Hafnarfjordur opens on Advent weekends a Christmas village Jólaþorpið on which Icelandic Christmas journeymen jólasveinar occur and also at the local stalls crafts sold.
East Central and Southeast Europe
In east-central and south-east Europe, the Christmas market tradition has declined sharply since the end of the Habsburg monarchy. Since 1999 there has been an Advent market on Vörösmarty tér in Budapest , which is open until January 6th. A Christmas market has been held in Bratislava on the Hlavné námestie since 1993 . It was also extended to other squares such as Franciscan Square or Hviezdoslavovo námestie .
Only since the beginning of the new millennium have there been a number of Christmas markets in Poland again, including the oldest in Krakow (with a nativity scene builder competition), the markets in Allenstein (with Eskimo village, dog sledding and campfires), Wroclaw , Gdansk , Thorn (known for the gingerbread ) or Warsaw .
The Christmas market in Prague is best known in the Czech Republic . In addition, the Christmas markets z. B. in Krumau , Budweis or Brno to mention. Christmas markets are also held in Baltic cities such as Riga and Tallinn . In the Croatian capital Zagreb , the Christmas market takes place every year around Josip Jelačić Square. There, souvenirs, gingerbread, Christmas decorations, etc. are sold in traditional wooden houses. There is also an ice rink at the Zagreb Christmas market during Advent.
English speaking countries
There were traditionally no Christmas markets in English-speaking countries, but the concept has been adopted in some places in recent times. There are now Christmas markets (mostly as “German Christmas Market”, “Christkindlmarket” or “Holiday Market”) in Kitchener (Canada), Chicago (since 1996), New York (since 1995), Denver (since 1999), Baltimore, among others , Birmingham (since 1997), Bristol (1998), Manchester (since 1999), Edinburgh (since 2000), Phoenix (since 2008), Leeds , Nottingham and Kingston upon Thames . The largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria is, according to the company's own account, the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Frankfurt's twin city, Birmingham, with around 180 market stalls and almost 3 million visitors (and rising).
With the advent of low-cost airlines, for example, weekend trips to German Christmas markets, such as Cologne, are increasingly being offered as package tours in Great Britain .
Special forms
The special forms of Christmas markets include markets in unusual locations, e.g. B. in a visitor mine or as in Traben-Trarbach in large wine cellars. In addition to various “medieval Christmas markets”, a Victorian Christmas market takes place in the former Mabilon bell foundry in Saarburg . In addition to castles and palaces, open-air museums have also discovered the Christmas market as an additional attraction outside of the main season. Christmas markets in open-air museums with a long tradition are, for example, the markets in the LWL open-air museum in Hagen , in the open-air museum in Glentleiten and in the folklore and open-air museum Roscheider Hof . In some cities there are also so-called Christmas markets .
Web links
- Link catalog on the topic of Christmas markets at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Success story of Christmas markets. In: Deutscher Schaustellerbund eV: Annual Report 2017. We make leisure time a pleasure! Berlin, December 2017, p. 9ff. [1] : 1500 larger markets; The Berliner Zeitung , December 17, 2018, p. 7 speaks of 3000 locations.
- ↑ Manfred Becker-Huberti : Celebrations, festivals, seasons. Living customs all year round. Herder Verlag, Freiburg / Basel / Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-451-27702-6 , p. 147.
- ↑ Part 10: The oldest Christmas markets in the world. In: welt.de . December 21, 2008, accessed April 12, 2020 .
- ↑ North Church criticizes the opening of the Christmas market before the Sunday of the Dead ( Memento from December 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ So 2006 in Bonn ( Declaration of the Catholic and Protestant Church on the Bonn Christmas Market, 2006 ), 2012 in Potsdam ( Potsdam pastors protest against opening before the Sunday of the Dead. ( Memento from November 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) In: Märkische Allgemeine. November 20 2012) and Halberstadt ( Evangelical Church criticizes the Christmas market before the Sunday of the Dead. On: welt.de , November 22, 2012), 2013 in Hof (Saale) or 2015 in Bad Sassendorf (Elfie Schrader: Every year earlier www1.wdr.de, 20. November 2015). The Christmas market in Worms also started three days before the Sunday of the Dead in 2015, but was not officially opened until the Monday after. (The Christmas market in Worms starts earlier: Because the New Year's Eve market is no longer available, it will start on November 19th. Www.wormser-zeitung.de, October 22nd, 2015).
- ↑ The new Centro Christmas Markets. ( Memento from December 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Weihnachtinberlin.de
- ↑ reisereporter.de: Christmas markets that are open after Christmas
- ↑ List of the opening times of several hundred Christmas markets in Germany, sorted by postcode
- ↑ a b Berliner Zeitung , December 20, 2011, p. 1.
- ↑ Florian Gontek: How the Christmas market degenerates into a folk festival. In: Spiegel Online . December 18, 2018, accessed April 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Christiane Wolff: Trier Christmas market remains firmly in private hands. In: volksfreund.de. October 22, 2015, accessed April 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Berliner Zeitung , 22./23. November 2014, p. 20.
- ↑ Received Christian references. Interview by Christoph Arens with the President of the German Showmen Association, Albert Ritter, in Day of the Lord. Catholic weekly newspaper for the Archdiocese of Berlin. Volume 67, No. 48, December 3, 2017, p. 9.
- ↑ a b Success story of Christmas markets. In: Deutscher Schaustellerbund eV: Annual Report 2017. We make leisure time a pleasure! Berlin, December 2017, p. 9ff. [2]
- ↑ Christmas market breaks all records. Retrieved February 10, 2015 .
- ↑ A fir tree for the Munich Christmas market
- ↑ Official website , further information
- ↑ "The most dazzling of Munich's Christmas markets: 'Pink Christmas' is back!" (News Munich article from November 20, 2018), "Rosarotes Hanukka" (SZ article, Süddeutsche Zeitung from November 26, 2018, Stadtviertel, p. R 7)
- ↑ Small Christmas Markets on nuernberg.de, accessed on November 20, 2019
- ↑ www.visitberlin.de: WSeihnachtsmärkte Berlin.
- ↑ colorful Christmas market
- ^ Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham. Accessed December 1, 2019 .
- ↑ Official website ( Memento of November 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Werner Spieß : History of the city of Braunschweig in the post-Middle Ages. From the end of the Middle Ages to the end of urban freedom 1491–1671. Volume 2, Braunschweig 1966, p. 422.
- ↑ Braunschweiger Zeitung of December 30, 2008
- ↑ a b c Süddeutsche Zeitung No. 280, 3./4. December 2016, p. 34.
- ↑ Dortmund Christmas Market | Biggest Christmas tree. Retrieved October 19, 2019 .
- ↑ Get information now! > Biggest Christmas Tree> Giant Tree> | FTI travel blog. Retrieved on October 19, 2019 (German).
- ^ Website of the Essen Christmas Market ( Memento from April 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Die-Top-News from November 17, 2008
- ↑ Cologne Harbor Christmas Market at the Chocolate Museum , accessed on August 21, 2013.
- ^ Cologne tourism website , accessed on November 29, 2011.
- ↑ Official website ( memento of November 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), German Christmas Markets , published December 7, 2012 and Cologne Tourism
- ^ Website of the Chemnitz Christmas Market
- ↑ History of the Magdeburg Christmas Market ( Memento from November 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Welcome to the Magdeburg Christmas Market! Retrieved February 10, 2015 .
- ↑ Freiburg Christmas Market. Retrieved November 20, 2019 .
- ↑ The Heilbronn Christmas Market on Weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de, accessed on January 6, 2010.
- ↑ Pictures from Christkindlesmarkt Karlsruhe ( Memento from May 20, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Overview of the Christmas markets on Lake Constance ( Memento from November 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Driving days of the Swabian Forest Railway
- ↑ Advent market. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on November 27, 2016 ; accessed in 2016 (German).
- ↑ Stadtmarketing Waldkraiburg GmbH
- ↑ 25.11.-23.12.2019: Christmas market of 1000 stars in Cottbus . In: Cottbus . December 2, 2019 ( cottbus-tourismus.de [accessed December 2, 2019]).
- ↑ Christmas Potsdam 2016 . In: State capital Potsdam . November 11, 2008 ( potsdam.de [accessed December 22, 2016]).
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ Christmas market in Osnabrück
- ↑ Bonner Rundschau, November 28, 2012, accessed on December 2, 2012
- ↑ stadt-muenster.de
- ↑ Landau Tourism Office: Thomas Nast Nikolausmarkt. In: landau-tourismus.de. Retrieved December 23, 2016 .
- ^ Marion Maier: Greetings from the Victorian Age. In: volksfreund.de. December 11, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2018 .
- ↑ www.worms.de: Worms Christmas market "Nibelungen Christmas"
- ↑ domradio.de: Dispute over nativity play at Christmas market in Worms No contemplative "Nibelungen Christmas"? , December 21, 2019.
- ↑ Information on the Kiel Christmas market at kiel.de
- ^ Jena - oldest Christmas market in Thuringia ( page no longer available , search in web archives ). On: www.jena.de, December 11, 2006.
- ↑ In the annual report for 2017, the Schaustellerbund speaks of "over 85 million" visitors, without giving any further figures. ( Success story of Christmas markets. In: Deutscher Schaustellerbund eV: Annual report 2017. We make leisure time a pleasure! Berlin, December 2017, p. 9ff. [4] .)
- ↑ Geldmaschinen im Advent , berliner-zeitung.de, accessed on December 9, 2013.
- ↑ Andre / mimikama: St. Martin, Christmas market & Advent lighting! Clarification. In: mimikama.at. Mimikama - Association for the education of Internet abuse, September 23, 2016, accessed on December 28, 2017 .
- ↑ a b The "BamS" fairy tale of the Christmas market ban - BILDblog. Retrieved December 28, 2017 (German).
- ↑ a b Sebastian Heiser: Myth “Winter Festivals” in Berlin-A Christmas Tale. In: taz.de. TAZ, December 17, 2014, accessed December 28, 2017 .
- ↑ a b c Matthias Schwarzer: Hetze in the net: Why is the Christmas market now called "Lichtermarkt"? In: Website of the Neue Westfälische nz.de. November 16, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017 .
- ↑ Patrick Gensing : Rumors about Christmas markets: every year again. faktenfinder.tagesschau.de, November 16, 2017
- ↑ dao: "Winter Market": Right shit storm for Munich Airport . In: Neue Passauer Presse (ed.): Neue Passauer Presse . November 23, 2015 ( pnp.de [accessed December 28, 2017]).
- ↑ Junas Herrmann, Christian Seidl and Volker Weinl: Don't we all have lights on the tree? In: www.bild.de. BILD, November 30, 2014, accessed December 28, 2017 .
- ↑ AfD is raging! Are there really many Christmas markets now called light markets? www.tag24.de, November 17, 2017
- ↑ The program for the 18th Bergkamener Lichtermarkt is available at www.wa.de, October 13, 2018
- ↑ a b c Entry on the Christmas market in the Austria Forum (in the Heimatlexikon), accessed on December 5, 2011.
- ↑ The Christmas tree will shine blue-white-red , orf.at, November 18, 2015, accessed on November 18, 2015.
- ↑ No festive opening of the Vienna Christmas market , wienerzeitung.at, November 14, 2015, accessed on November 18, 2015.
- ↑ Official website
- ↑ Home ⋆ Schlösser Advent. Accessed December 21, 2018 (German).
- ^ Salzburg: Chronicle / Tradition
- ↑ Christmas and Advent markets in the city of Salzburg ( Memento from December 28, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Christmas in the Waldbad Anif
- ↑ St. Leonhard Advent market near Grödig
- ↑ Advent in Graz
- ↑ Advent City Leoben
- ↑ Burgau Castle Christmas Market
- ↑ Verena Asen: History of the Innsbruck Christmas Market. In: Innsbruck informs, December 1999, p. 18 ( digitized version )
- ↑ So that the waiting for the Christ Child goes by in a flash. In: Innsbruck informed, December 2014, pp. 6–9 ( digitized version )
- ^ Basler Zeitung, November 21, 2012 , accessed on November 24, 2012.
- ↑ Bremgarten AG Christmas Market
- ↑ Lucerne Christmas Market
- ↑ Christkindlimarkt in Lucerne Train Station ( Memento from December 11, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ «Winterthur has discovered the culture of the Christmas market». The Landbote of December 27, 2013, p. 10.
- ↑ Christmas markets in Switzerland
- ↑ Merano Christmas market is organized by the spa administration ( Memento from February 11, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Website of the Merano municipality, accessed on December 12, 2013.
- ↑ Overview: Official Christmas markets in South Tyrol
- ↑ Christmas Market Bratislava 2011 - Advent in Bratislava on the Centrope website accessed on December 15, 2012.
- ^ History of the Christmas market in Bratislava ( Memento from December 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) from November 19, 2011, accessed on November 20, 2011.
- ^ Advent in Zagreb. Retrieved February 10, 2015 .
- ↑ Christmas idyll in the heart of Chicago . Travel EXCLUSIV magazine website, accessed November 13, 2014.
- ↑ Carsten Volkery: export Christmas Market: Bratwurst spell at Birmingham. In: Spiegel Online . December 13, 2009, accessed April 12, 2020 .