Two open Sundays decided for 2021
At its meeting today, Chemnitz City Council decided on the dates for two Sundays open for business in Chemnitz this year - limited to the city centre district.
Retail outlets in the city centre district may be open between 12 noon and 6 pm on
- on Sunday, 28 November 2021
on the occasion of the Chemnitz Christmas market
- on Sunday, 12 December 2021
on the occasion of the Chemnitz Christmas Market
The regulation is based on the Saxon Shop Opening Act, which authorises the opening of sales outlets on special occasions. The Chemnitz Christmas Market is considered a special occasion. It is a traditional and unusual event in the city that exerts a special attraction on visitors and, based on experience, triggers a considerable flow of visitors.
In 2019, the Higher Administrative Court of Saxony ruled, following a complaint by the United Services Union ver.di, that there must be a special reason and a spatial connection between the event and the shops that are open in order to authorise Sundays open for business in the city. Accordingly, events such as the Chemnitz Christmas market justify opening on Sundays in the vicinity of the event venues, but not in the entire city area, including the shopping centres on the outskirts of the city.
For this reason, Sunday openings on 28 November and 12 December for the Chemnitz Christmas Market are only permitted in the city centre.