Brandenburg Interior Minister René Wilke (SPD) sees security measures around Christmas markets as a significant financial burden for organizers. “Security has become a significant cost factor at events such as (…) Christmas markets,” Wilke said on Rbb Inforadio.
Potsdam Christmas Market with six-figure security fees
Recently, the organizers of the “Potsdam Christmas Miracle” market were unwilling to talk openly about their anti-terrorism measures. “We can only say that we invested more than 250,000 euros in security issues,” the organization said.
There is currently no acute risk situation. But there was an “abstract threat situation,” the minister explained. If there are a lot of people gathered, you will never be 100 percent safe. What is proportionate ultimately depends on the event in question. “You can’t compare a small Christmas market in a village with a Christmas market in Potsdam or Berlin.”
The Christmas market is now open
Many Christmas markets are open today in Berlin and Brandenburg. Although some winter markets can already be visited, the Christmas market season usually starts in many places on the day after Dead Sunday.
For example, the Christmas market at Memorial Church is open to the public with services at 10 am. An official opening with a tour by Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) is planned for the evening. Wegner is also scheduled to open Christmas markets at Red City Hall, Gendarmenmarkt and Charlottenburg Palace.
Apart from Potsdam, other Christmas markets also start in Brandenburg – for example in Cottbus, Frankfurt (Oder) and in Brandenburg an der Havel. The municipality implemented a security concept: concrete pillars and railway barriers were installed and in some cases video cameras were also installed.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251124-930-332969/1
