Lichtermarkt an der Christuskirche Oberschöneweide

Oberschöneweide – Industrial backdrop with a church anchor

Oberschöneweide is a district in the Treptow-Köpenick borough and is one of Berlin's most fascinating industrial ensembles. At the end of the 19th century, AEG established large works here, the later University of Applied Sciences for Technology and Economics is located here, and red brick halls line the Spree. In the middle of this industrial quarter stands the Christuskirche on Firlstraße – a Neo-Gothic building from the 1900s, whose tower still serves as a landmark for the district today.

The market in front of the church

Once a year, on the Saturday before the 1st Advent, the Christuskirche parish opens the square in front of its church for an Advent market – the Lichtermarkt. The concept is deliberately community-oriented:

• festive brass music in the forecourt (brass choir and guest ensembles)
• decorated Christmas tree, illuminated in the evenings
• craft activities for children inside the church or in the community centre
• handmade Advent decorations and Christmas gifts from the neighbourhood
• small stage programme with readings, songs, and a closing concert
• mulled wine, cookies, bratwurst, waffles

The festival traditionally ends with a closing concert at 6 p.m. in the church – lighting dimmed, brass music loud, donated proceeds for the parish's social causes.

Treptow-Köpenick and the green south

The Treptow-Köpenick borough in the southeast of Berlin is the largest Berlin borough by area and the greenest – with Müggelsee lake, the Spree river landscape, Plänterwald forest, and extensive industrial and residential quarters. Oberschöneweide has a special profile among the borough's districts: industrial culture, university, bohemian elements, and the feeling of a neighbourhood in slow transition. The Lichtermarkt connects these worlds on an Advent afternoon.