Nürnburg Christkindls Markt

As soon as the fruit and vegetable stalls are removed from the main market square at the beginning of November and the knocking and hammering starts as the craftsmen erect the stalls, which are at first brown and undecorated, the citizen of Nuremberg prepares himself for the oncoming storm. On the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent Nuremberg‘s pre-Christmas spectacle, which goes by the name of the Christchild‘s Market, is opened.

This pre-Christmas market can be traced back to the middle of the 16th Century. Historians, however, currently name 1628 as the first year of the market for which official records exist, as there is an unambiguous piece of evidence from that year. There is a 19 cm oval wooden box painted with flowers in the German National Museum which bears an inscription in black on its base saying that the box was sent by one Susanna Eleonora Erbsin (or Elbsin) to Regina Susanna Harßdörfferin on the occasion of the Christchild‘s Market in 1628. This box with original content is currently regarded as the oldest piece of evidence.

There is a list of notices for stallholders from 1737. This shows that nearly all of Nuremberg‘s craftsmen were represented in the “town of stalls“. In those days 140 people had the right to ply their wares. In 1998 there are 190 stalls on the Christchild‘s Market which will be attended by 200 stallholders.

The market lost a lot of its importance at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, while in 1933 a new ceremony, where a “gold foil angel“ recited a prologue, choirs of children sang and church bells pealed, lent a supernaturally romantic tone to the proceedings.

The Prologue was written by the dramatist Friedrich Bröger, son of Karl Bröger, the poet of the working classes. The text and the opening ceremony remain virtually unchanged.

The streets leading from the station to the market are attractively decorated with white poles bearing Christmas symbols, garlands of fir and pretty lights. At the center of the market square is a crib, its wooden figures telling the Christmas story. Every visitor to the Christkindlesmarket enjoys a pause to look at it. The market stalls are decorated with branches of fir and lit by lanterns. Most sell Christmas decorations, gold-foil angels, little prune figures, made of dried fruit and crepe paper, the famous "Zwetschgenmännle", spicy Lebkuchen cakes and toys. The opening of the market is a festive occasion and enjoys great popularity. At dusk the Nuremberg "Christkind", who is newly elected every two years, recites a prologue from the balcony above the entrance to the Frauenkirche, accompanied by festive music. Children sing carols in front of the church.

Since 1948 it has become the custom, late one afternoon during advent, for schoolchildren carrying home-made lanterns to walk from the market up the hill towards the castle in an impressive procession and then to watch the Christmas story being acted out before them.

As in the past years, about 185 booths and stands will be erected on the Hauptmarkt. The sales front of the alleys between the booths will measure about 940 meters. In about one third of all stands specialities of Nurenberg will be offered, such as Rostbratwürste (fried sausages from the roast), Lebkuchen (spicy gingerbread), Glühwein (mulled wine) and Früchtebrot (rich fruit loaf).

This is the church where the choir sings and the ceremony of the Christchild's Prologue is held.