The origins of Christmas markets have various sources and different perspectives on which Christmas market was the first. New insights into which Christmas market was the first emerge annually.
In 1296, Duke Albert I of Austria granted Viennese merchants the right to hold a “December market” to ensure the provisioning of the population in Vienna. Over the centuries, this privilege laid the foundation for today’s Christkindlmarkt in Vienna.
In 1384, King Wenceslas IV granted the city of Bautzen in Upper Lusatia permission to establish a free meat market. This market quickly evolved into a Christmas market, considered the oldest in Germany.
Historical documents attest that the tradition of Christmas markets in Frankfurt am Main dates back to the year 1393.
The first document mentioning a Christmas market dates back to 1434 during the reign of Frederick II of Saxony. It refers to a “Striezelmarkt” that supposedly took place in Dresden on the Monday before Christmas.
The Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, is considered one of the oldest in Europe. The first documented Christmas market in Strasbourg took place in 1570. Thus, Strasbourg has a long tradition as a festive place during the Christmas season, and the Christkindelsmärik (Christ Child’s Market) in Strasbourg is regarded as one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets worldwide.