There used to be more tinsel and bright lights: as a result of the energy crisis and inflation, a much darker Christmas time is threatening in German cities.

Three months before Christmas Eve, many municipalities discuss ways to save energy.

The measures taken in view of the tense situation on the energy markets could include "reducing the Christmas lights or perhaps even doing without them entirely if this results in large savings," said a spokesman for the German Association of Towns and Municipalities.

However, he emphasized that Christmas markets are an important part of the quality of life and a relevant economic and location factor.

"Against the background of the looming energy crisis, there is agreement that there can be no lighting this year like in previous years," says a spokesman for the city of Bamberg.

In Berlin, dark shopping boulevards such as Kurfürstendamm, Tauentzienstraße or Unter den Linden threaten.

Because of the Senate decision not to support and co-finance the streetlights, some districts and business people are looking for sponsors.

In Stuttgart, according to the city, the green electricity light chains should only shine on Christmas trees for 240 instead of 450 hours.

The town hall does without lighting and the advent calendar in its windows.

In Kiel, the lighting elements on the Christmas markets and in the pedestrian zones should not be significantly reduced.

"However, the fairy lights and stars are already switched off at 10 p.m.."

In Essen, “a few atmospheric lighting elements” are dispensed with and the lighting of the market stalls is switched on much later.

Nuremberg points out that the Christkindlesmarkt has been supplied with 100 percent green electricity for almost ten years, and the energy consumption of the lighting has been reduced to a minimum with LED lamps.

Cities such as Munich, Kiel, Potsdam, Cottbus, Annaberg-Buchholz, Chemnitz, Erfurt, Jena and Weimar also emphasize that they have largely switched to energy-saving LED technology in recent years.

Cities such as Aachen, Cologne, Frankfurt/Main, Darmstadt, Münster, Düsseldorf, Bielefeld, Hanover, Wiesbaden, Regensburg, Lübeck and Flensburg are currently examining - sometimes in working groups - how exactly the current energy emergency can be taken into account.