The final hurdles are being set up at Bonn’s Christmas market. Concrete blocks now block the roads leading to the central square, where visitors are already enjoying mulled wine and gingerbread.
Market manager Katherine Krumbach is moving through the crowd, checking the safety measures she is also responsible for.
Speaking to DW, she points to a rubber mat that covers the electrical wires running along the path.
“You might not even notice, (but) it’s also part of the safety concept,” she says, adding that the purpose of the mat is to smooth out the bulge so no one trips over, and wheelchair users can “get out quickly without any obstruction in case of an emergency.”
Following several deadly attacks on Christmas markets in recent years, municipal authorities have been forced to step up security measures more than germany 3,000 such markets.
According to the DSBEV trade association, representing the interests of approximately 5,600 mostly family-owned showman businesses in Germany, these markets attract approximately 170 million visitors each year and generate annual revenues of “several hundreds of millions of euros”.
Katherine Krumbach’s security concept for the Bonn Christmas market is “dozens of pages” thick, she says, and is designed to provide.“All the scenarios that could happen.”
In addition to concrete blocks to prevent trucks from colliding with visitors, Krumbach’s less visible measures include training its staff for emergencies, coordinating with local fire brigades, and preparing for other dangerous situations such as AP.outstanding outages.
“Most security work happens out of sight,” he told DW.
More security ‘good for business’
Till is a seller of scented candles and decorative items in the Bonn market. he thinks The increased security measures are actually good for his business.
“If people feel safe here, more people will come — and no one has to worry,” he told DW, rotating a handmade ornament on display so it could better catch the light. “Customer feedback has been great, and I think we’re going to sell a lot.”
Swati, a visitor from India who is experiencing the German Christmas market for the first time, stands close to the tills stand.
She says she plans to spend about €25 ($29) at the market this evening, which is the average amount spent per day by visitors to such markets. Food, gifts and mulled wine are on his wish list.
Wandering through rows of stalls with twinkling lights and tinkling bells, she finds it “beautiful” here, but adds: “Although I was hoping to see more police… but then again, I’m sure they’re prepared.”
Who will pay the additional costs?
In the Bonn market, police are running a clearly visible presence by patrolling walkways in uniform and deploying a security container with municipal officers.
In addition, Bonn city authorities have hired a private security firm and installed surveillance cameras to make visitors feel safe – these measures have been taken at a cost.
While total security costs for the Bonn Christmas market have not been made available, for example, the northern German city of Bremen has reported security expenses for its market this year reaching €3 million, including huge costs for protective bollards and vehicle barriers.
Albert Ritter, chairman of the DSBEV lobby group, says that some municipal officials “Likes to charge organizers for security. “But the costs cannot be passed on to small market sellers,” he told DW. He demanded that “public safety should be publicly funded.”
Ritter was also keen to allay fears that Christmas markets would be canceled due to rising security costs. Rumors about this have recently gone viral on the internet in Germany.
Although some markets have reduced their size to accommodate safety measures, there were no reports of closures, an investigative report by DW showed.
,Unfortunately,” says Ritter, a lot of things “are being misused for political purposes on social media.”
Edited by: Uwe Hessler
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