After all, most of them don't have the faintest idea how they're going to support their families." "And even some of the guys who operate our heavy-lifting vehicles had tears in their eyes. "When the cancellation order came through, we were all standing there together at the market square, hoping and praying," he says. Christian Schöttl's stand at the Munich Christkindlmarkt usually sees plenty of visitors Image: Privat He tells DW how he'd only just begun getting the stand up and ready when it was time to take it down again. The figurines of angels, stars and little trees are usually the main attractions at Christian Schöttl's stand at Munich's Christkindlmarkt. Especially for those who run the stands." Söder said with clubs and bars also closed down, even more people would join the crowds gathering at the Christmas markets. "We're really sorry. "We've come to the conclusion that there will simply be too much person-to-person contact no matter how you try to control it," said Markus Söder, Bavaria's state premier, following last week's announcement of the closures. Infection rates in some areas have gone through the roof, leading to fresh lockdowns. Seasonal workers fear for their livelihoodsĪt the moment, Bavaria and neighboring Saxony are the German states worst affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Not in Munich, nor in other Bavarian cities including Nuremberg, which also boasts its own famed Christkindlmarkt, which normally draws visitors from as far away as Japan. "You wonder why they didn't cordon off one area for people who can prove that they've been fully vaccinated," says Couto. In normal times, as many as 3 million people would flock to the market in the buildup to Christmas, buying presents and warming their hands on delicious mulled wine. Some are still decorated with crimson Christmas balls or lonely fir branches. All that remains are the wooden market stands, shuttered and waiting to be taken away for happier times. This year, the traditional Christmas market has been called off because of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, Couto will have to come back another time. "And I really would have loved to see Munich's wonderful Christkindlmarkt." The 29-year-old Brazilian is a postgraduate student in the central city of Göttingen. "I spent five hours on the train getting here," he tells DW. Matheus Couto is among those trying to get a good shot. At Munich's central Marienmarkt square, the well-known melody of a popular Bavarian folk song rings out. Tourists reach out with their cellphones in the crisp and clear November air to capture the famous glockenspiel atop the Bavarian capital's ornate New Town Hall.
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