Christmas markets in Thuringia will be closed again

The scent of mulled wine and roasted almonds only tempted you to stroll through the Thuringian Christmas markets for a short time.

By order of the state, the booths have to close again, the rides have come to a standstill.

Erfurt / Eisenach / Weimar - After the ban imposed by the state, the Christmas markets in Erfurt, Eisenach and Weimar will be closed from this Thursday. The cities are bowing to the country's new Corona regulation, but are also demanding compensation for the dealers and showmen from the Free State due to the short-term decision. Erfurt and Weimar continue to reserve the right to take legal action against the ban, but the city of Eisenach no longer wants to sue.

The Thuringian state parliament allowed access to strict corona rules on Wednesday, with which the Free State will shut down public life again from Thursday in view of the high number of infections.

This also includes a ban on the Christmas markets, which only opened this week.

Most Thuringian cities, however, had previously canceled their Christmas markets.

Some of the Thuringian corona rules such as a curfew in the catering industry came into force on Wednesday.

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Erfurt's Lord Mayor Andreas Bausewein (SPD) considers the Christmas market ban to be incomprehensible.

On the cathedral square, people would have drunk their mulled wine under strict control.

Now they would do it elsewhere - in party rooms or at private parties, where the risk of infection is much higher, criticized Bausewein.

The city wanted to take legal action against the ban and on Wednesday transferred the mandate to an Erfurt law firm.

Weimar also continues to reserve the right to a legal review, as announced by the independent mayor Peter Kleine.

"The short-term instruction from the Free State is a slap in the face and proof that the state government's current policy clearly lacks reliable straightforwardness and that the citizens' acceptance of the necessary measures is therefore increasingly declining."

Eisenach's Lord Mayor Katja Wolf (left) said the state government is now required to provide compensation for dealers and showmen.

In coordination with the Wartburg district, the city is trying to offer individual traders a perspective in the form of an expanded weekly market.

Possible concepts for this would now be examined.

However, Eisenach will not take legal action against the state's order.

dpa