Protest - Christmas markets in Goslar and Hanover remain quiet
In protest against increased fees for music, Christmas markets in Lower Saxony remained quieter than usual on Monday. Christmas market operators throughout Germany had called for a "Day of Silence". According to the state capital, there was no music from a tape recorder and no performances by musicians at the Christmas market in Hanover. There were also no loudspeakers at the market in Goslar.
The background to this is a dispute over money. Christmas market operators are complaining about what they see as excessive music bills from the Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (Gema). Gema rejects the accusations.
Gema represents the copyrights of over 90,000 rights holders in Germany, such as composers, lyricists and music publishers. It distributes the revenue to them when copyrighted songs are played. Since 2011, Gema has calculated the costs for the overall sound system at Christmas markets in the same way - namely based on the size of the event area.
According to Gema, however, the cost increases are not only due to the fact that some Christmas markets have recently become larger. In some cases, the operators have also incorrectly stated the size to the collecting society. They have now been remeasured. The music at individual stalls is not affected by the dispute. The showmen conclude their own contracts with Gema for the music played there.
Nevertheless, the dispute over fees is also causing displeasure among showmen in Lower Saxony. "Simply increasing an amount or calculating a different fee is something we don't understand," said Gregory Laubinger, press spokesman for the State Association of Market and Fairground Operators. "The fairground profession lives and dies with music." Especially at Christmas time, music and choir performances are important for the atmosphere. "You take away a piece of people's quality of life."
Announcement from the city of Hanover from 1.12.
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- Despite the protest, locals and tourists in Lower Saxony still visited the quieter than usual Christmas markets in Goslar and Hanover last Christmas, hoping to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
- The dispute over music fees has also impacted the finances of numerous showmen in Lower Saxony, as they are required to pay higher costs to play music at their stalls during the Christmas market.
- To save money, some stall operators in Goslar and Hanover have resorted to playing Christmas carols from a tape recorder or relying on the natural acoustics of their stalls, instead of hiring live musicians or using loudspeakers.
- In an effort to support the local tourism industry, the city of Hanover issued a statement encouraging residents and visitors to continue visiting the Christmas market, emphasizing that the dispute only affects the music aspect of the event.
- Despite the protests and increased fees, many believe that music is an integral part of the Christmas market experience in Germany and that the atmosphere would not be the same without it, urging for a resolution to the dispute to help preserve the traditional charm of these beloved festive markets.
Source: www.stern.de
