Alarm mood at the Erfurt Christmas market - what really happened?

Alarm mood at the Erfurt Christmas market - what really happened?

On Friday evening, December 20, 2024, the popular Christmas market in Erfurt was evacuated for a worrying reason. Around 8:45 p.m., visitors heard surprising announcements about the loudspeakers on the cathedral square, which asked them to leave the market calmly. Witnesses reported that a large police force came. The authorities initially adhered to the reasons, but confirmed that the evacuation had been carried out at the request of the organizer and not on the basis of a concrete hazard. This happened shortly after an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, where a car had driven into a crowd, which also made the situation worrying, as Thuringia reported.

smooth evacuation despite the panic

The atmosphere on the market remained surprisingly quiet during the evacuation. Visitors and stall operators helped to quickly clear the cathedral square, which, according to eyewitnesses, was well organized. "People have all stayed calm," a visitor praised the behavior of those present, while the police blocked the area with barriers. The organizers of the Christmas market, which took place in Erfurt for the 174th time, had offered an atmospheric ambience with over 200 wooden stands, traditional dishes and festivities, as described on the official website.

Thuringia reported on the evacuation of the Christmas market. Details and attractions of the Erfurt Christmas market on the official page.