Security costs may force closure of Germany’s Christmas markets

(MENAFN) Germany’s traditional Christmas markets, a major tourist attraction and vital source of local income, face possible closures due to sharply rising security costs, the Federal Association of City and Town Marketing (BCSD) warned.

According to BCSD, security expenses have risen by an average of 44% over the past three years following several high-profile attacks. In 2016, a rejected Tunisian asylum seeker drove a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring dozens. Last year, a Saudi psychiatrist rammed his car into a Magdeburg market, killing five and wounding over 200.

Market organizers now must implement costly measures including concrete barriers, entry checkpoints, video surveillance, and additional security personnel. A recent BCSD survey of 258 organizers found that over 75% require subsidies to operate, while only 1.6% turn a profit.

“We need reliable, nationwide regulations that apply to all levels of government, otherwise, we will soon find no one willing to take on the ever-increasing responsibility for events and manage their financing,” BCSD head Gerold Leppa said.

Federal authorities have recognized the issue but have not proposed solutions. An Interior Ministry spokesperson noted that market security is “the responsibility of the states,” while Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that comprehensive security concepts are needed, though direct federal support is not provided.

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