Name: Security beefed up to protect German Xmas market tradition
Uploaded: 2025-12-08T23:48:38.900Z
Duration: 3 min 24 s
Description: Carefree visits to Christmas markets in Germany are no longer a given following a deadly attack last year on the market in Magdeburg. But local authorities and business owners do everything to keep the tradition alive.

Carefree visits to Christmas markets in Germany are no longer a given following a deadly attack last year on the market in Magdeburg. But local authorities and business owners do everything to keep the tradition alive.

Magdeburg

Dresden's Striezelmarkt, Germany's oldest Christmas market, has introduced extensive security measures such as steel bollards and access barriers in response to previous attacks, with the city spending over 2 million euros on protection. While these steps aim to ensure visitor safety, the financial burden remains unresolved, raising concerns among market organizers and traders.

Smaller markets like Augustusmarkt face logistical challenges and warn that without city support for security costs, many may be forced to close. Despite these issues, the festive atmosphere continues, with locals and tourists enjoying traditional foods like Dresden Christmas Stollen.

Security beefed up to protect German Xmas market tradition

The Striezelmarkt in Dresden is Germany's oldest Christmas market, with two and a half million visitors every year. And nearly 500,000 of them spend at least one night in Dresden. Stefan Heilig is responsible for security. He developed a security concept together with the local authorities. To prevent attacks like the one at the Christmas market in Magdeburg last year. There are massive steel bollards, access barriers and concrete blocks. All paid for by the city of Dresden, at least for now. The cost question remains unresolved for now. Right now the city of Dresden is covering the security costs. Those are huge costs. In recent years, the city has spent a lot of money, well over 2 million euros, to buy the protection materials. That's a lot of money. And it's an important economic factor here. The security measures are meant to prevent vehicles from getting close to people at the Christmas market. To make them feel safer. And it is working, in part. Yes, it's about my or our security, or the security of all the guests or visitors at the Christmas market. And I think it's important that we spend something on that. You hear a lot of bad things, and that goes through your head. Hopefully nothing happens. Safety is a must. But to what extent? Where will it lead? When I think back to my youth, that didn't exist. It's kind of a bit strange. In another part of Dresden, early in the morning at the Augustusmarkt. This privately organized Christmas market is considerably smaller than the Stritzelmarkt. There are also bollards and entrance barriers here. The barriers are closed half an hour before the market opens. So goods can only be delivered until then. For many traders, that's a challenge because they have to come earlier. That means more stuff, says Holger Sastrow, the operator of Augustusmarkt. And if the city doesn't assume the costs of the bollards and entrance barriers, then many small Christmas markets may shut down. Traders already have a lot of pressure. Everything is more expensive, people aren't spending as they used to. We have a very difficult economic situation. Every trader, food stall owner or performer is noticing that. We are stretched to the limit. More costs mean higher prices. Then people don't buy that. If you charge 8 euros for a small bag of almonds, customers aren't ready to pay that. And there's no point in charging these kind of prices. The fears fade into the background as the Christmas spirit takes over at the Augustusmarkt and the Stritzelmarkt. Locals and visitors from across the world can enjoy Christmas drink and food, including the famous Dresden Christmas Stollen, which is only baked here in the region.

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