Magdeburg's Christmas market could be cancelled this year – it was reported this week that the event could not currently be issued a permit to open due to issues with the security concept.
As of Tuesday, the German Press Agency (DPA) reported that the city was still seeking a solution.
"I assume that we will manage to open the Christmas market," Mayor Simone Borris (independent) told DPA, but she added that its opening could be delayed by a few days.
At the time of writing there is no notice about the potential cancellation on the event's website, which notes that the market is set to open on November 20th.
Last year the Magdeburg Christmas market was the site of a horrendous attack in which a 51-year-old man rented an SUV and drove the vehicle through the crowd there, killing six people and injuring hundreds.
The trial of the perpetrator of last year's attack began on Monday, with Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, a doctor from Saudi Arabia facing six counts of murder and 338 counts of attempted murder.
As the trial began, it was reported Magdeburg's own Christmas market would open this year, but remain closed on the anniversary of the attack. Several hours later, Mayor Borris informed Magdeburg's city council of the decision against the event's permit by state authorities.
READ ALSO: Magdeburg Christmas market attacker on trial in Germany
Who's responsible for security?
The Magdeburg Christmas market is the largest in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, attracting millions of visitors from the surrounding regions and beyond each year.
The possible cancellation of the event began when Saxony-Anhalt's State Administration Office sent a letter to the city which said the event's security concept was insufficient, and explained that the authority could not therefore approve a permit.
The letter, which was seen by DPA, was critical about the event's security concept including the lack of barriers to stop cars from entering the site.
Additionally, the letter suggested that Weihnachtsmarkt GmbH, as the organiser of the event, had underestimated its own security obligations.
Mayor Borris has largely rejected the state authority's assessment. From her point of view, the responsibility to implement the beefed-up security measures required lies with the state's regional government and counter-terrorism police.
The mayor addressed the state's Prime Minister, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), in an open letter asking for support.
"We are under massive time pressure. The construction of the Christmas market is underway, contracts have been concluded, livelihoods, including for traders throughout the city centre, depend on decisions that have to be made in a few days," said the letter to Haseloff.
Haselhoff in turn held a meeting between representatives of the city and the state administration office on Wednesday.
"All experts agree that concrete counter-terrorism is a state task for which the organiser of a Christmas market cannot be responsible," Borris said after the special meeting, according to a report by Welt. The police had also made an announcement in writing last week that the prosecution of crimes and the avoidance of concrete dangers is a state task.Â
For now, the fate of Magdeburg's Christmas market this year remains unclear as city and state officials have yet to reach a conclusion about how the event can achieve certain security measures and be permitted to open.
Meanwhile the conflict is seen as a bad sign for Christmas markets in other cities and towns throughout the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The Association of Towns and Municipalities of Saxony-Anhalt sees the authority's negative assessment as casting great uncertainty over the markets planned in many other cities.
Are Christmas markets closing?
As The Local has reported, claims had been circulating on social media that Christmas markets were being cancelled around Germany.
Most of those claims were shown to be false. If Magdeburg's Christmas market did fail to open this year, it would be the biggest market to announce a security-related closure so far.
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A couple of Christmas markets in smaller cities in North Rhine-Westphalia are also reportedly being cancelled due to cost-issues related to stricter security requirements. These include a market in Overath around the St. Walburga Church, and another market on the Stiftsplatz in Kerpen.
Other markets that are closed this year include a historical market in Rostock, which had already been cancelled last year, as well as a market in Hamburg's Rahlstedt district (closed for financial reasons) and another at Dortmund's Bodelschwingh Castle (cancelled due to renovations to the castle).
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