Overview
- States are increasing visible policing with mobile posts, targeted person and vehicle checks, and covert patrols, and all planned markets are proceeding with approved security concepts and no cancellations reported.
- The Federal Interior Ministry says Christmas markets are attractive targets for Islamist terrorists and confirms continuous monitoring by federal and state security services.
- Municipalities and organizers are bearing higher costs for protections, coordinating closely with police under state oversight to implement market-specific measures.
- Cities cite major outlays for vehicle barriers and access controls, including Armis One modules at about €16,000 each, Unterschleißheim’s €15,000 access modules and €6,000 concrete blocks, and shared equipment via the NordAllianz, while Hamburg and Bremen report significant additional spending.
- The German Association of Cities is pressing for federal and state funding support, existing routes such as EU grants and state special funds are noted, and a Freiburg case highlights a reported bollard gap despite new barriers as a YouGov poll finds about two-thirds of Germans worry about safety.