Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, around 20 retailers from Bautzen and the surrounding area offer their fresh goods in the middle of the historic old town of Bautzen. The weekly market takes place as either a “green” or mixed merchandise market.

Tuesday (Hauptmarkt): 8.00 am to 1.00 pm
Thursday (Kornmarkt): 8.00 am to 5.00 pm *
Saturday (Hauptmarkt): 7 am to 12 noon

* mixed merchandise market

Information for retailers: admission to the weekly market

Easter market

On Easter Saturday, the weekly market takes place as an Easter market in the form of a mixed and green market in the main Market Square (Hauptmarkt).

www.ostern-bautzen.de

Christmas Market

Germany’s oldest Christmas Market
The Christmas Market takes place in the main Market Square, Reichenstraße and in the Kornmarkt Square in front of the museum.

www.wenzelsmarkt-bautzen.de

The History of the Market

In his book, “The History of the City of Bautzen“, the chronicler Richard Reymann sheds light on the history of the market in the city, which started in 1382, when King Wenzel gave Bautzen the right to operate a temporary fair. Three later markets followed, in 1455,1494, and 1735. These were also to be held only on certain days and in association with particular festivities. Later, the market days were reduced to 3 per year.

The right to hold a meat market was given by King Wenzel in 1384. From St. Michael’s day onwards, on Saturdays, every butcher was allowed to sell his meat publicly in the market.. This regulation was even extended in 1505 to such an extent that, apart from Budissin, no other place in the Oberlausitz could hold a meat market of this kind. They were allowed to sell their meat up until Christmas.

In later centuries, the sale of other products of everyday use were added to the meat market. Throughout the centuries, the Christmas meat market developed into the classic Christmas market that we find today.
The birth of the weekly markets is presumed to have coincided with the construction of St.Peter’s Church (Today the Cathedral). Traders brought objects related to the service to sell to the congregation.
The good incomes earned by these early market traders then later also attracted those who traded with foodstuffs and goods of daily necessity. In 1532 even the church graveyards were moved elsewhere to create more space and a street for the market.
Today, place names like Fleischmarkt (meat market), Holzmarkt (wood market), Buttermarkt (Butter market), Kornmarkt (Corn market), Ferkelmarkt (Pig market) are a reminder of the haggling over goods and price that used to predominate.
Today, only the Christmas and the weekly markets remain.