Göttingen weekly market moves to St. John's Church - traders in conflict!

Göttingen weekly market moves to St. John's Church - traders in conflict!

Göttingen is facing some changes: From February 17, 2024, the weekly market will be moving to the Johanniskirchhof, 500 meters north of the previous location on Hospitalstrasse. The reason for this move is the renovation work on the Otfried-Müller-Haus (OMH), the venue of the Young Theater. The return to Hospitalstrasse is not planned until the end of 2027. In the meantime, the market will partially move to Kurze Straße in the winter because the space is occupied during the Christmas season, he says Göttingen Tageblatt.

The move has sparked mixed reactions among both retailers and customers. While some are happy about the new, atmospheric setting at St. John's Church - with its old church and tall trees - others see the bumpy and broken flooring as a disadvantage, which makes life particularly difficult for people with rollators or walkers. One trader notes that the market should be in the middle of the city rather than in a backyard to attract more foot traffic. In this context, several stand operators express concerns about poorer parking options and logistics at the new location. "We could lose customers," said a concerned dealer, and the increased effort required for construction is another issue that concerns dealers.

Renovation work on the Otfried Müller House

The planned renovation measures at the Otfried Müller House are ambitious. Dismantling work for asbestos renovation began in October 2025, which has now increased the costs of the project to 24.8 million euros. Original estimates were 23 million euros. This renovation means that the Young Theater's theater operations will be delayed until spring 2028. The dismantled elements include everything from pipes and lamps to cupboards and sanitary ware, while heritage components such as doors and stairwells are secured. None of this happens unnoticed: discussions are ongoing with the building supervision and monument protection authorities, and a building permit is expected at the beginning of 2026 HNA reported.

The city considers the renovation to be urgently necessary because the Otfried Müller House has been empty for years and previously planned renovation work has been postponed several times. The city's residents can look forward to around 300 days of performances a year when the theater reopens, and the variety of programs will include plays, musicals, children's and youth theater as well as interactive formats.

Despite the move and the associated changes, many loyal customers are unimpressed and still plan to visit the weekly market. The atmosphere at St. John's Church could turn out to be an attraction, even if things may be bumpy for a while.