Enlarge image
Christmas market in Duisburg: Already open under 2G conditions
Photo: Roland Weihrauch / dpa
While in Cologne on 11.11.
the crowds were pushing for the start of the carnival, other event managers are already worried about their business again.
In view of the rapidly increasing corona numbers in Germany, thousands of showman families fear that after 2020 the Christmas markets could be canceled again in 2021.
"It is unbearable to turn your head around for summer omissions for the second winter in a row," complains Albert Ritter from the German Schaustellerbund (DSB). Around 3,000 traditional Christmas markets are currently being set up all over Germany. Trusting the promises of politics, the showmen - mostly family businesses - built up, bought goods, hired staff and paid stand rents.
In the meantime, however, Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer has already become the first high-ranking politician to call for the Christmas markets to be canceled. "You can't imagine standing at the Christmas market, drinking mulled wine and everything in the hospitals is over and you're fighting for the last resources," said the CDU politician on RTL / ntv. He is now receiving support from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). In view of the high number of infections, the institute is again calling for people to avoid contact - and for events to be canceled.
"The RKI urgently advises canceling or avoiding larger events if possible, but also reducing all other unnecessary contacts," says the weekly report.
"The current development is very worrying." If general, non-pharmacological measures such as wearing masks, observing the minimum distance, reducing contact, and ventilation are not reintroduced quickly, "it is to be feared that a further increase will be more difficult." Illnesses and deaths will come «.
These tightenings are also important for vaccinated and convalescent people - even when meeting under 3G and 2G conditions.
"Christmas markets are not the ballerina"
Showman President Ritter told the newspapers of the Funke media group that if there were market cancellations due to increasing incidences, the bridging funds, which should end on New Year's Eve, would have to be extended. In the event of another lockdown, Ritter would find it unfair to punish those of all people who obeyed the rules. "At most, you could exclude unvaccinated people from the Christmas markets."
In Ritter's opinion, the markets cannot be compared with indoor events. In the Funke newspapers, he fought off doubts as to whether the rules of distance would be observed when consuming alcohol: "Christmas markets are not the most popular in Mallorca." You drink a mulled wine and walk on, maybe drink a second one at another stand to tradition, there it's all about a well-groomed togetherness. «Ritter rejects the requirement to wear a mask because it doesn't exist in pedestrian zones either.
Meanwhile, the Association of Towns and Municipalities is in favor of access restrictions such as 2G or 2G-Plus on the Christmas markets.
"In the current situation, we consider 2G to be an important sign on the Christmas markets," said managing director Gerd Landsberg to the Funke newspapers.
Rule 2G states that only those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated are allowed to enter the market.
With 2G-Plus there is an additional test requirement for those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated.
And in Cologne?
Mayor Henriette Reker defends the start of the carnival, which saw thousands crowd around Zülpicher Straße.
The city spokesman asked the junkers to avoid the "crowded" area.
The relief areas near the university are also full.
But Reker said: "What if we had said: We'll do it like last year, there will be no carnival." .
There are very many people who are on 11.11.
would no longer simply be banned because it is part of the custom in Cologne.
"I think they just won't put up with that anymore," Reker said of the kick-off, which took place under 2G conditions.
"I also believe that a complete ban would no longer have been legally possible."
So can the Germans let the Christmas markets be banned?
According to a report by the Free Press in Chemnitz, Saxony's government is attempting something similar: municipalities should be persuaded to forego the Christmas markets.
However, they continued to plan undeterred for the time being.
According to the newspaper, the city and community day in Saxony pointed out that the government's proposal contradicts its own concept.
In some cities, the Christmas market season has already started - especially early, so that the showmen can generate higher sales after the long Corona break.
For example, the “Winterzauber Berlin” and the Christmas market in Duisburg are already open.
apr / dpa / Reuters
