tradition
Hamburg fish market open again in traditional form
Visitors walk across the Hamburg fish market on the Elbe in the morning. he started again in full on Sunday. Photo: Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Sunday morning is fish market time in Hamburg. For a long time, this was only possible to a very limited extent due to the pandemic. Now the market criers are allowed to praise their products as loudly as usual and make fun of them.
Buy fish, fruit or plants at the edge of the harbour: after more than 15 months of corona interruption and eight months of restricted pandemic operations, the Hamburg fish market started again on Sunday in full.
The typical barkers were also allowed to offer their products at the top of their lungs. Most recently, according to the Altona district office, they were forbidden to scream. In addition, after the partial reopening of the traditional market directly on the Elbe in July 2021, only half of the stands have so far been allowed to be set up.
“There is general euphoria,” said the Vice President of the State Association of Ambulatory Trade and Showmen, Klaus Moritz, shortly before the opening. The 58-year-old sells fish sandwiches at the market. The joy that everyone is finally seeing each other again is great.
The fish market with more than 300 years of history is open from 5 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. According to the district office, before the pandemic, between 10,000 and 35,000 visitors came on a Sunday to buy goods from barkers like Aale-Dieter, Schoko-Johnny, Käse-Tommy or Banana-Fred. During the reduced version there were only 2000 to 17,500.