On my first visit to Germany in 1996-97, I was fortunate enough to 1) be stationed in Heidelberg, a lovely city largely untouched by the ravages of World War 2, and 2) be there during the holiday season. A great old Christmas tradition in Germany is the Christmas markets. These are great fun; the streets are lined with vendors selling everything from food and drink to Christmas ornaments and cuckoo clocks. My family and I wandered the Christmas market in Heidelberg, and one weekend drove to Nuremberg and took in the larger Christmas market there. That was one of the things I loved about Germany, along with the food, the beer, and the friendly people of Bavaria. I can get by in German if someone doesn’t talk too fast, and so I have always enjoyed visiting there.
All of that may be changing, and not for the better. Now Germany’s lovely Christmas markets are…
