Overview
- Darmstadt Marketing GmbH purchased certified mobile vehicle barriers for about €500,000 to secure its Nov. 17–Dec. 23 market and aims to recoup the outlay by renting the equipment to other municipalities.
- Overath canceled its traditional market after the city declined to cover rising protection costs, with reporting citing a Berlin administrative court ruling that limits shifting security expenses to private organizers.
- Kerpen is rebranding to a smaller “Genussmarkt im Advent” to sidestep stricter requirements that would have meant larger perimeters and more security staff.
- NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul said cancellations are regrettable but insisted there can be no compromises on safety under the current threat situation.
- Visitors are reporting sharply higher prices for food and drinks, and Hamburg‑Rahlstedt’s “Winterterrassen” has been closed permanently after poor turnout and weak revenues.