Wrocław Christmas Market – interview with prof. Joanna Nowosielska-Sobel

hristmas markets today have as many supporters as opponents. Some speak of a real festive atmosphere at the markets, while others call them downright kitsch. One thing is for sure – our Wrocław fair attracts crowds of Wrocław residents and tourists from all over Poland. If you haven’t visited it yet and would like to see it, these are the last days to do so. So today it’s going to be about the fair, but in a historical context, because another of our Christmas correspondents is prof. Joanna Nowosielska-Sobel from the Institute of History at the University of Wrocław, who specialises in the recent history of Silesia and Prussia. Now that we know all there is to know about St. Nicholas, it is time to find out, for example, that the first historical documentation of the Christmas Market in Wrocław dates back to 1566. What could be purchased there? As early as “the 17th century, typical devotional items associated with the Christmas season were sold in these stalls, but from the very first fairs, gingerbread also appeared”. You are cordially invited to watch the film.

And if the subject of Christmas markets interests you more, we refer you to the book published this year by dr. Grzegorz Sobel from the University Library in Wrocław “Jarmark bożonarodzeniowy w dawnym Wrocławiu”.