Overview
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged nationwide, cross-city security standards for Christmas markets and said the federal government will support coordination while operational responsibility remains with state police.
- Magdeburg’s market received official approval to open on Thursday after authorities flagged deficits in its plan, prompting roughly €250,000 in new access protections, added measures, and fresh inspections.
- Cities are rolling out vehicle barriers and controlled access points that affect traffic, with Dresden closing the southbound Wilsdruffer Straße through Christmas and planning to remove temporary protections from 5 January.
- Magdeburg is imposing a 30 km/h limit on Ernst-Reuter-Allee and daytime bans for vehicles over 3.5 tons on key routes from 19 to 29 December, with signed detours and limited exemptions.
- Most markets nationwide are proceeding, though a few smaller events were canceled over security costs, and places like Braunschweig have expanded access protection to make driving into the market area impossible during opening hours.