Chemnitz Christmas Market 2018
Mayor Barbara Ludwig opens the Chemnitz Christmas Market on Friday, 30 November at 4 p.m. with Father Christmas and stollen cutting * Christmas tree: approx. 70 years old and approx. 25 metres high - will be set up on Saturday, 10 November at around 5 p.m. * Mulled wine cup: in pastel blue and with the same shape as in 2016, special motif historical city coat of arms + Schlossberg (875 years of Chemnitz) * Varied programme with events, activities and handicrafts for young and old
Erzgebirge tradition - year after year
During the Advent season, the Christmas market area around Chemnitz Town Hall and the decorated town hall light up, a magical mixture of incense candles, mulled wine and culinary delights and treats attracts visitors to the displays, atmospheric music can be heard from the can or live on the large stage on Neumarkt, and Father Christmas and his entourage are on site every evening.
The traditionally decorated Christmas village is once again based on over 200 huts: Construction begins on Monday, 12. November with 173 stands on Markt and Neumarkt, Rosenhof, Jakobikirchplatz and Richard-Möbius-Straße, 15 stands on Düsseldorfer Platz - here again with the Erzgebirgsdorf and two-storey mill tavern.ckige Mühlenschänke - as well as 29 historical stalls in Innere Klosterstraße, which will once again host the traditional Chemnitz Klosterweihnacht with its medieval market.
Opening with Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig
The Chemnitz Christmas Market will be opened by Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig on Friday, 30 November at 4 pm with the traditional stollen cutting ceremony. He will be supported by Father Christmas and fairy-tale characters. The ten-kilo and 1.30 metre long stollen is once again from the Pietschmann bakery in Chemnitz.
The Christmas market is open on the opening day from 4 pm to 9 pm, from 1 December to 22 December daily from 10 am to 9 pm and on 23 December, the last day, from 10 am to 8 pm.
Every evening at 5 pm, Father Christmas (Claus Höhne and Rolf Pfüller) visits the fairytale stage and brings a fairytale surprise, performed by the Fritz Theatre. This year's programme includes the following fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood, Mother Hulda, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, The Brave Little Tailor and Snow White.
Girls and boys aged four to six who would like to meet Father Christmas directly on stage should send a letter, including a picture they have drawn themselves, to register for the Christmas flying visit - here is the address:
Weihnachtsmarktstudio der Stadt Chemnitz, Marktwesen, 09106 Chemnitz (see also PM 700 dated 4 October 2018).
Large traditional Christmas market
From 30 November to 23 December, visitors and guests to the Chemnitz Christmas market can expect an extensive and varied range of original Erzgebirge folk art, typical tree decorations, Advent decorations and many culinary delights. There are 173 stands with 167 huts and six fairground rides and a children's area. 18 food and drink vendors and 11 small retailers are new this year. A modern dishwashing centre will also be used. (31 new registrations in total)
A total of 54 stands will offer activities and handicrafts (from smoked candle making, show woodturning and carving to the production of various specialities and sweets) as well as exhibits such as the original humpback mine.
All municipal huts with a size of 7 square metres have been renovated in the meantime. If you lose your bearings at the Christmas market, you can also follow the ten signposts.
In addition, the seating areas, which were redesigned in 2014 and are partially covered, once again invite you to linger. There will be a special event on 21 December from 3 to 4 pm. The best homemade egg liqueur made by Chemnitz Christmas market visitors will be chosen.
Chemnitz Monastery Christmas
One of the attractions of the Chemnitz Christmas market programme since 2005 is the historical market organised by Bibow Communikations GmbH with the "Chemnitzer Klosterweihnacht" in the Innere Klosterstraße with 29 historical stalls.
The bakery and tavern, shooting castle, smithy, leatherworkers and many more as well as the bathhouse have a long tradition. Register for the "bath in the crowd" at baden(at)suendenfrei.de.
On the stage in Klosterstraße, there is a music programme every hour on the Advent weekends on Fridays and Saturdays from 3 pm to 8 pm and on Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm. Jugglery and fire shows can also be experienced every hour on Fridays and Saturdays from 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm and on Sundays from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm.
On the first Advent, the minstrels "Die Streuner" & Feuergaukler, on the second Advent the group "Scherbenhaufen" & Feuergaukler and on the third Advent the folk & medieval band "The Sandsacks" & Feuergaukler will show off their skills. On the fourth Advent, the minstrels "Nachtwindheim" & Feuergaukler will delight visitors.
Every day from 4 pm on the half hour there are Grimm's fairy tales in the "mini cinema of the Middle Ages" at the Laterna Magica.
Ore Mountain Village
The "Erzgebirgsdorf" on Düsseldorfer Platz offers 15 stands including the two-storey mill tavern, e.g. a mulled wine pyramid, arts and crafts products and regional culinary specialities as well as offers for children, such as crafting smoke houses and tree decorations or baking biscuits. Christmas tree sales, game specialities, raclette, foam kisses and offers for vegetarians are also planned this year. The event is organised by Event Catering Restaurant GmbH.
Reservations for the Mühlenschenke can be made by calling 01723706685.
Mulled wine cup
In addition to numerous hearty dishes and delicious treats (including roasted almonds, nuts and gingerbread, of course), mulled wine and the mulled wine huts will once again be a popular attraction and meeting point for visitors at the Chemnitz Christmas Market 2018. And it's not just the winter drink, which is offered in a wide variety of recipes, but also the mulled wine cup itself that is a tradition in Chemnitz and has long since become a collector's item for some visitors to the Christmas market.
The mulled wine cup has been a tradition at the Chemnitz Christmas market since 1995, always in a different colour: last year the cup was blue with a Bergman motif.
20,000 were ordered for this year's Christmas market. The plates and soup bowls proved their worth last year and are available again this year.
Design of the Christmas market
The Erzgebirge character of the Christmas market is traditionally continued with a pyramid, candle arch, music box, snowman, smoking man, miner and angel.
Special attractions
Once again this year, one of the special visual attractions of the Chemnitz Christmas market is the twelve-metre-high Christmas pyramid created by the "8th of May" carving circle in 1986 on its site between Neumarkt and the market: 24 figures depict everyday life in the Ore Mountains on five floors. In 2016, the "Peremett" was given a new body and the figures have been replaced piece by piece over the past few years based on the originals; the original figures that have been preserved can be viewed in the foyer of the town hall on the market square.
The 5 x 2 metre, 200-kilogram original candle arch from the Ore Mountains by the craftsman Claus Döhler from Sosa, which has once again adorned one of the festively decorated entrances to the Christmas market since 1993, is also a tribute to Christmasland.
The giant music box, which was reissued on behalf of the town in 2013, was built by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH in the image of the music box that has been a fixture at the Christmas market since 2002. The scene of "Bescherung in einer Weihnachtsstube" ("Giving presents in a Christmas parlour") rotates on a plate 4.40 metres in diameter every half hour, every quarter and three quarters of an hour, from 10.45 a.m. to 6.45 p.m., to the Christmas tunes of the musical mechanism.
The well-known traditional Erzgebirge figures in the decorated area also include: the miner and angel (each 1.80 metres high) were renewed this year and, since 2010, the 1.80 metre high snowman and, since last year, the 1.90 metre high smoking man. All four figures are made by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH.
Preventive measures for general safety
For several years now, the Chemnitz Christmas Market has had a security concept that has been agreed with the police and is updated and updated annually. This includes a risk analysis of all possible situations. Measures are planned for potential hazards to minimise the security risk. For example, containers filled with sand and large planters are placed on some access routes to the Christmas market.
All communication channels have been revised to ensure that the police and emergency services can be contacted at all times. The police and city security service will increase their patrols of the Christmas market.
Christmas tree 2018
The atmospheric, gleaming centrepiece of the Christmas market is a spruce tree around 25 metres tall, which will be delivered to the market at the town hall at around 5 pm on Saturday, 10 November and put up. The tree, which is around 70 years old, comes from the Sachsenforst forestry district of Erlbach in the Vogtland.
Until the tree arrives, the waiting time can be shortened by enjoying a pre-Christmas barbecue and mulled wine - another pre-Christmas tradition in Chemnitz. Once the tree has arrived at the market on Saturday afternoon, the pre-Christmas season in Chemnitz has finally begun.
The octagonal round bench, created in 2012 by employees of the Parks Department and built from local English oak, is of course once again installed around the Christmas tree.
Shining lights
Every year, the utility company eins and its network company inetz create a Christmassy atmosphere in the streets of Chemnitz city centre: the energy supplier installs around 7,000 lights in Chemnitz and decorates the Christmas tree with around 800 lights.
This year, the large Christmas tree on the market square will be decorated on 12 November at the request of the city. At the same time, the fairy lights on the deciduous trees on Jakobikirchplatz and the strings of lights on the market square will also be put up. The ornaments will then be put up on 19 November and all other work will be carried out. The Christmas tree and the strings of lights will light up from 30 November at 4 p.m. The ornaments and the deciduous trees will light up from 19 November.
Cultural events
In total, there are almost 300 cultural events in the packed 2018 Christmas market programme: these include the Great Mountain Parade on the day before the 1st Advent and the daily carillon (11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm, 2 pm with additional Christmas music). A total of 88 events (including 14 without a fee) take place on the stage at Neumarkt. The stage has been a permanent feature of the Christmas market since 2000. There are also four tower blowing events (new on Saturdays! 10.15 am) - not organised by the market, eight carillon concerts and four guided tours of the town hall. There are also numerous activities at the medieval market and in the "Erzgebirgsdorf".
In addition, two symphony orchestra organs can be heard daily from 4.35 pm to 4.55 pm. The two organs, built in 1904, will be played on the Neumarkt (at the Super 8 double loop) and on the Rosenhof (at the sports carousel).
Crafts to look at, marvel at and take part in
Visitors can look forward to a total of around 54 activities and craft shows in huts and on the Christmas market site. These include sawing large figures, making smoked candles, making bobble hats and various treats, painting lampshades, show splicing and sailor's knots, the popular sheepfold and much more.
Awards
The Chemnitz Christmas market has an excellent reputation as a popular attraction for visitors from all over Germany and beyond, and not just in the traditional "Christmas land of the Erzgebirge": the local broadcaster MDR has already recognised the Chemnitz Christmas market three times as one of the most beautiful, atmospheric and authentic of its kind.
Big mountain parade
One of the impressive highlights of the pre-Christmas period in Chemnitz is the 40th Great Mountain Parade through the city centre on Saturday, 1 December, starting at 2 pm.
Once again, more than 1,100 participants will present this tradition: 687 people in uniform, 388 mountain musicians and 32 mountain singers will be seen in the always impressive parade, opening the Christmas season in the Ore Mountains.
From 13:30 there will be a pre-concert in the Stadthallenpark with the music corps of the town of Olbernhau, the Saigerhüttenkapelle Olbernhau-Grünthal and the Zwickau Coal Mining Association choir. As usual, the mining parade starts at 2 pm at the theatre square.
The route leads along Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Richard-Tauber-Straße, Straße der Nationen and Brückenstraße to the Stadthallenpark. The grand closing ceremony will take place here at 3.00 pm.
(You will receive a separate press release about this).
Days of Erzgebirge folklore
The 40th Days of Erzgebirge Folklore traditionally take place in the Stadthalle on the 1st weekend of Advent under the motto "Advent in the Erzgebirge" - the detailed programme, which includes music, song and dance performances as well as guided tours by Erzgebirge craftspeople and many hands-on activities, is available online at www.c3-chemnitz.de.
Advertising and information material
To advertise the 2018 Christmas market, the city of Chemnitz published a flyer with a print run of 20,000 copies. They were sent throughout Germany as well as to Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the Christmas market is advertised in national magazines and travel magazines as well as on 100 City Light posters in Chemnitz. Current and interesting information will also be provided regularly via social media, such as Facebook.
All information about the Chemnitz Christmas Market 2018 at:
www.chemnitz.de/weihnachtsmarkt
Copyright: City of Chemnitz/Press Office