Chemnitz Christmas Market 2019

At today's press conference, Mayor Miko Runkel and the staff of the Public Order Office, Department of Trade and Markets, presented this year's Christmas market. It traditionally opens its doors on the Friday before the 1st Advent, this year on 29 November.

Set-up:

from Thursday, 7 November

Opening:

On 29 November at 4 pm, Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig will open this year's Christmas market together with Father Christmas. The ten-kilo, 1.30 metre-long stollen from Chemnitz bakery Pietschmann will also be handed out again.

Opening hours:

29 November, 4pm to 9pm,
Sunday to Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm
Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm

Stall locations:

173 stalls on Markt, Neumarkt, Rosenhof, Jakobikirchplatz, Richard-Möbius-Straße, 15 stalls on Düsseldorfer Platz - here again with the Erzgebirgsdorf and two-storey mill tavern, 30 historical stalls in Innere Klosterstraße, 30 stalls in Innerer Klosterstraße.30 historical stalls in Innere Klosterstraße, which will once again be home to the traditional Chemnitz Klosterweihnacht with its medieval market

Market area, Neumarkt, Rosenhof, Jakobikirchplatz, Richard-Möbius-Straße

Assortments:

30 x Christmas market, 27 x food, 19 x hot drinks, 14 x baked goods, 11 x confectionery, 5 x fruit, vegetables, nutssse, 13 x food, 29 x gifts, 14 x textiles, clothing, 6 x showman's shop, 1 x charity, 1 x dishwashing station, 4 x other (tin signs, whiskey in a glass, snowball throwing)

Longest distance travelled by traders:

Finland (1,300 kilometres), Austria (550 kilometres), Grinau near Hamburg (530 kilometres), Benediktbeuern (450 kilometres), Czech Republic (162 kilometres)

Regional dealers:

137 from Saxony

New registrations:

29

Mulled wine mug:

This year the mug is dark green with the pyramid motif.

Design:

A total of 16,000 lights illuminate the Christmas market. This year, Chemnitz day-care centres will be decorating small Christmas trees, which will be placed all over the Christmas market. On 23 December, from 4 pm, the Christmas trees set up at the Chemnitz Christmas market will be handed over to interested parties free of charge. All municipal huts with a size of 10 square metres have been renewed. Anyone who has lost their bearings at the Christmas market can also follow the ten signposts.

One of the special visual attractions of the Chemnitz Christmas market this year is once again 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 Erzgebirge by the craftsman Claus Döhler from Sosa, which has once again adorned one of the festively decorated entrances to the Christmas market since 1993, also pays homage to the Christmas land.

The giant music box is also back at the Christmas market. It was reissued in 2013 by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH on behalf of the town. The original was the music box, which had been a fixture at the Christmas market since 2002. On a plate with a diameter of 4.40 metres, the scene "Bescherung in einer Weihnachtsstube" (Giving presents in a Christmas parlour) rotates every half hour, every quarter and three quarters of an hour, from 10.45 a.m. to 6.45 p.m., to the Christmas sounds 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), the snowman (also 1.80 metres high) and the 1.90 metre high smoking man. All four figures are made by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH.

Cultural offers:
Daily chimes (11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., 2 p.m. with additional Christmas music), four tower carillons (Saturdays 10 a.m.3 pm), seven carillon concerts (Wednesdays and Saturdays 9.20 am to 9.50 am), four guided tours of the town hall (Saturdays 11 am), six public guided tours of the Christmas market. 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 to 4.50 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).

Stage:
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 fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Mother Hulda, the Frog King, Hansel and Gretel, The Brave Little Tailor and Snow White.
There will be a total of 65 performances (including 13 without a fee) on the Neumarkt stage. On 11 December, from 5 pm, mdr Jump will present the stage programme.

Christmas tree:

A spruce about 33 metres high and around 80 to 100 years old is still standing in the Eibenstock forest district. The tree will be put up on Saturday, 9 November, around 5 pm. From 11 a.m., the waiting time for the tree will be shortened with barbecued sausages and mulled wine. A carousel awaits the youngest visitors.

Lights shine:
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.

The large Christmas tree on the market square will be decorated this year on 11 November. This is also when the fairy lights on the deciduous trees on Jakobikirchplatz and the strings of lights on the market square are put up. On 18 November, the ornaments are then put up and all other work is carried out. The Christmas tree, the fairy lights and the ornaments on the market will then light up from 4 pm on 29 November, the ornaments in the streets and the lighting of the deciduous trees from 18 November.

Chemnitz Monastery Christmas area
One of the attractions is the historical market organised by Bibow Communikations GmbH since 2005 as part of the Chemnitz Christmas market programme with the "Chemnitzer Klosterweihnacht" in Innere Klosterstraße with 30 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@suendenfrei.de.

Stage:
A music programme every hour on Fridays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the Advent weekends. Jugglery and fire shows can also be experienced every hour on Fridays and Saturdays from 3.30 to 7.30 pm and on Sundays from 2.30 to 6.30 pm. On the first Advent, "The Sandsacks" & Pyrokatharsis Feuergaukler, on the second Advent the group "Die Streuner" & Feuergaukler and on the third Advent the minstrels "Scherbelhaufen" & Pyrokatharsis Feuergaukler show their skills. On the fourth Advent, the groups "Rabauken" & "Nachtwindheim" will delight visitors.

Every day from 4 p.m. 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 area
The "Erzgebirgsdorf" on Düsseldorfer Platz with 15 stands including the two-storey mill tavern and the mulled wine pyramid. The event is organised by Event Catering Restaurant GmbH. Reservations for the Mühlenschenke can be made by calling 0172/3706685.

Preventive measures for general safety

For several years now, the Chemnitz Christmas Market has had a security concept agreed with the police, which is 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 of the access routes to the Christmas market.

Big mountain parade

One of the impressive highlights of the pre-Christmas period in Chemnitz is the 41st Great Mountain Parade through the city centre on Saturday, 30 November, 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. There will be a pre-concert in the Stadthallenpark from 1.30 p.m. with the Olbernhau town music corps, Saigerhüttenkapelle Olbernhau-Grünthal The start of the mountain parade is, as usual, 2 p.m. 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 takes place here at 3 pm.

All information about the Chemnitz Christmas Market 2019 at:
www.chemnitz.de/weihnachtsmarkt