There is a lot going on in the castle courtyard of St. Emmeram on Tuesday afternoon, it smells alternately of roasted almonds and sausages, logs are stacked at the many fireplaces, a stand man stirs pancake batter in a large bowl. The sun is shining as if everything were great in Regensburg. Which is not the case. Because the “Romantic Christmas Market” at Thurn und Taxis Castle has to close on Wednesday, just like every other Christmas market in Bavaria. Peter Kittel, who has been organizing the market for years, was still combative on Monday and announced that he would only close when the city of Regensburg explicitly forbids him to do so. But that’s how it will turn out, Kittel knows that too.
While most markets in Bavaria did not even open because of the announced regulation, Kittel closed last Friday – and caused a furore across the region. Christmas market fans saw one last glimmer of hope and stormed the princely ticket shop. On Tuesday morning, the event team announced on the homepage, which now resembles a live ticker during the World Cup, that tickets will temporarily no longer be sold due to the “excessive demand”. The “temporarily” can now be deleted.
Last year the market, which at its best attracted almost 300,000 visitors from all over Germany, failed completely. There was no resistance from Kittel and even understanding. “There was lockdown for everyone and there was still no vaccine.” This year the 120 stallholders had high hopes for the Advent season. Like Johann Prückl from Penk near Landshut, for example. With his Penker fruit distillery, he has been a market customer for 20 years. “It hurts so much.” There is the income that is collapsing, but also the psyche. “I can’t say anything anymore, I’m really just depressed.” This year would actually have been his ten year old at Thurn und Taxis Castle. But does this year count?
The “romantic”, as he is also called in the city, has always been known, for example, the lady of the castle Gloria took care of it with occasional serenades from the balcony. But now even she felt image-Newspaper had to report from the Gallic village in the middle of the mulled wine Bavaria, which was banned. Prime Minister Markus Söder would probably be Julius Caesar and Peter Kittel Asterix in this story. And it would have needed a magic potion to keep the market open. “I’m not a resistance fighter. I only have a little backbone,” says Peter Kittel and bites into a sausage roll that afternoon shortly after the opening. First thing he eats today, he says. But he doesn’t want to come to terms with the situation. He wants to have the ban checked legally.
Meanwhile, a few other stallholders have gathered at Johann Prückl’s. Another fruit schnapps for everyone before we start. “I’m probably a very popular stall here in the market,” he says. Probably more than usual at the moment.