By Andrea Gallego Rodríguez
Berlin (EFE).- Once again, the cities and towns of Germany are filled with some 2,500 Christmas markets, reinforcing security measures following the attack in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, in 2024, which may lead to increased expenses for organizers.
These markets are the main tourist attractions at this time of year. Berlin alone has over 70 markets, including one of the largest in the Spandau district and one of the most popular on the Kurfürstendamm shopping street.
To carry out their usual activities and receive millions of visitors, organizers must collaborate with local authorities to develop security plans.
Some security measures in these scenarios include concrete barriers, backpack checks, and retractable barriers.
A Berlin police spokeswoman told EFE that police measures are planned individually for each market and are subject to continuous situation assessments.
“To guarantee public safety, patrols are carried out, and checks are made depending on the situation,” the spokeswoman stressed. They also use mobile posts in these areas.
An attendant at a mulled wine stand at the Kurfürstendamm market told EFE that he has noticed more security personnel and bollards.
“It has to do with the situation in Magdeburg because you never know what might happen, so you have to be prepared,” he said.
Two young people noted that there are police “on every corner, constantly walking from side to side.”
In Dec. 2024, a hit-and-run incident occurred in Magdeburg perpetrated by a Saudi doctor critical of Islam, resulting in six fatalities and over 330 injuries.
The trial against the driver began in early November and is expected to be the most significant in this region since the post-war period.
However, the aforementioned is not the only attack of this type that has occurred in Central Europe in recent years. In 2016, for example, someone ran over a crowd with a truck at the Kurfürstendamm market in an attack claimed by the Islamic State, leaving 12 people dead and nearly 170 injured.
Magdeburg Christmas market reopens
Despite doubts on its celebration due to the Regional Administrative Office categorizing the market as “a potential target for an attack,” the Magdeburg Christmas market reopened last week.
After much debate, the City Council reached an agreement the day before the opening.
Regarding this issue, the city’s mayor, Simone Borris, stated in a press release that everyone involved had worked tirelessly to make the market possible.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also expressed his commitment to the event, stating that he wants to ensure that such a “terrible act as last year’s” does not happen again.
In memory of the victims, the market would close Dec. 20, the anniversary of the attack.
Increased expenses and misinformation
In smaller cities, city councils can help cover the costs of the markets, yet in larger cities like Berlin, the organizers bear the costs and collaborate with the police.
Magdeburg’s budget is expected to reach approximately 250,000 euros.
Recently, some hoaxes have circulated on social media about the cancellation of Christmas markets in Germany due to concerns about possible attacks.
However, according to local media, these cancellations are mainly due to increased expenses in towns such as Overath and Kerpen in the North Rhine-Westphalia region.
Debate on responsibilities
There has also been debate about who should spearhead these types of measures. It is why Borris previously called on the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, to create “immediate, regional, and legally sound regulations on security requirements.”
Merz noted that the security protocol is a “task of the respective regional police, not a task that the federal state can cover.” EFE
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