This is the cost of security at Christmas markets

Advent in Berlin

Christmas Market: security costs increase massively

Christmas markets open – and security costs increase. Organizers sometimes invested more than 250,000 euros, and Brandenburg’s interior minister spoke about the burden.

Brandenburg Interior Minister René Wilke (SPD) described the high cost of security measures at 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.

Organizers of the recent “Potsdam Christmas Miracle” have been unwilling to talk publicly about their anti-terrorism measures. “We can only say that we invested more than 250,000 euros in security issues,” the organization said.

Wilke emphasized that currently there is no acute danger situation. However, he referred to “an abstract threat situation”. There is never 100% security when there are many people gathered. The Minister explained that the proportionality of action depends on the incident in question. “You can’t compare a small Christmas market in a village with a Christmas market in Potsdam or Berlin.”

Many Christmas markets are open on Mondays in Berlin and Brandenburg. The Christmas market season usually starts in many places on the day after Sunday of the Dead, while some winter markets can already be visited.

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 will also open Christmas markets at the Red City Hall, Gendarmenmarkt and Charlottenburg Palace.

Besides the market in Potsdam, other Christmas markets also started in Brandenburg – for example in Cottbus, Frankfurt (Oder) and in Brandenburg an der Havel. The city government has developed a security concept: They installed concrete bollards and train barriers and in some cases installed video cameras.