The Chemnitz Christmas tree 2013: About 27 metres high and around 80 years old - arrival at the market square by the town hall on Saturday afternoon (16.11.)
Invitation to a pre-Christmas event with mulled wine, bratwurst and children's carousel
Every year, the pre-Christmas season in Chemnitz traditionally begins in mid-November with the erection of the large Christmas spruce on the market square by the town hall: this year's date is Saturday, 16 November, and the tree - a magnificent spruce around 27 metres tall, according to advance information from the parks department - is expected in the afternoon. If everything goes "like clockwork" with the felling, loading and transport, then the arrival of the low-loader accompanied by the emergency services of the Chemnitz-Erzgebirge police department can be expected from 3 p.m. at the earliest. As last year, the transport route in Chemnitz leads from the Chemnitz/Mitte junction via the B 95/Leipziger Straße, Hartmannstraße, Theaterstraße into Innere Klosterstraße to the market.
Until the tree arrives, the waiting time on the market square can once again be used for a small pre-Christmas event organised by the market authorities: with barbecue and mulled wine fun, including a children's carousel for the youngest. So there will be plenty of entertainment - even if the tree transport is delayed by traffic jams on the way.
As for the main protagonist itself, the 2013 Chemnitz Christmas spruce is around 80 years old and about 27 metres high. With these dimensions, Chemnitz is sure to once again be well ahead or at the top of the annual Christmas tree rankings in Saxony. As is well known, the exact age and length can only be determined after the tree has been felled by counting the annual rings and measuring it at ground level. The spruce was searched for and found by employees of the Parks Department, who are also responsible for the Chemnitz Christmas tree. Together with forestry office manager Hansi-Heike Lerche and the responsible district forester Matthias Zollfrank, they were out and about in the Adorf forest district of the Sachsenforst state enterprise in Vogtland.
The tree will now be felled on the morning of 16 November near Kottenheide in the Zwota district by employees of Techno-Farm und Service GmbH Adorf. The experienced company had applied for the City of Chemnitz's annual Christmas tree tender and was awarded the contract to fell, transport and erect the 2013 Chemnitz Christmas tree.
Once it has been erected, the Chemnitz Christmas spruce will be festively decorated from Monday (18 November): 800 lights will be attached to the tree by the employees of RAC, the company commissioned by eins energie in Sachsen, so that it can shine in festive splendour from the opening of the Chemnitz Christmas Market 2013 (Friday, 29 November, 4 p.m.) until the New Year (Monday, 6 January 2014).
Note for editorial offices: Information on the structure and programme of the Chemnitz Christmas Market 2013 will be provided in advance at the traditional press conference on Wednesday, 13 November at 11 a.m. in the Bürgerhaus Am Wall (for invitation see PM 725 dated 6 November 2013).
Pre-Christmas information is already available online at www.chemnitz.de/weihnachtsmarkt