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Hanukkah in Germany: Where Public Events Take Place in Berlin, Frankfurt and Other Cities

Why Hanukkah is publicly visible in Germany: what the Festival of Lights represents, how public candle lightings work, and where they take place across major cities.

Hanukkah in Germany is observed this year from the evening of Sunday, 14 December, to the evening of Monday, 22 December. Although the eight-day Festival of Lights is not a public holiday, it remains a visible feature of public life in several German cities. In Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Cologne and other urban centres, organised candle-lighting ceremonies, community gatherings and cultural programmes are scheduled throughout the week, largely concentrated in the evening hours. Public attention is directed less towards religious doctrine than towards practical considerations — where public events are held, when they begin and which venues are accessible to visitors, reports NT24.

According to Jewish umbrella organisations, approximately 95,000 to 100,000 Jews live in Germany, with the largest communities based in major cities. This concentration helps explain why public Hanukkah observances are most prominent in urban areas with established community institutions and the administrative capacity to host visible, publicly coordinated events.

What Hanukkah Represents and Why It Is Publicly Visible

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE. The central ritual of the holiday is the daily lighting of candles on the hanukkiah, with one additional candle lit each evening over eight nights.

A defining feature of Hanukkah is that the hanukkiah is traditionally placed where its light can be seen from outside — in windows, at entrances or in public spaces. This outward-facing practice gives the holiday a visible public dimension. In Germany, this results in officially coordinated candle-lighting ceremonies organised by Jewish communities in cooperation with local authorities.

Key Dates for Hanukkah in Germany

Start: Evening of 14 December
End: Evening of 22 December
Duration: Eight evenings
Typical event times: After sunset, generally between 4:30 pm and 8:00 pm
Legal status: Not a public holiday

Public transport, government offices and businesses operate on normal schedules throughout the holiday period.

Where Hanukkah Is Celebrated Publicly in Germany

Berlin

Public Hanukkiah at Brandenburg Gate

Address: Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin
Dates: 14–22 December
Time: Daily after sunset; opening ceremony on 14 December at approximately 5:30 pm
Format: Open public candle-lighting ceremony

Jewish Museum Berlin – Hanukkah Programmes

Address: Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin
Dates: 14 and 21 December
Times: 11:00 am (guided tours); 14 December family programme from 3:00 pm
Format: Cultural and educational events

Frankfurt am Main

Hanukkah Celebrations by the Jewish Community of Frankfurt

Address: Börneplatz 7, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Dates: 14–22 December
Time: First candle lighting on 14 December at approximately 5:00 pm
Format: Candle lighting, religious services, community events

“Latkes, Lights & L’Chaim” Hanukkah Evening

Address: Grüneburgweg 9, 60322 Frankfurt am Main
Date: 18 December
Time: From 6:00 pm
Format: Open evening event with music and traditional food

Munich

Public Hanukkiah at Karlsplatz (Stachus)

Address: Karlsplatz, 80335 Munich
Dates: 14–22 December
Time: Opening ceremony on 14 December at approximately 4:45 pm
Format: Public candle lighting

Israelite Religious Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria

Address: Sonnenstraße 14, 80331 Munich
Dates: 14–22 December
Format: Candle lightings, lectures, cultural evenings

Cologne

Public Hanukkah Ceremony at Roncalliplatz

Address: Roncalliplatz, 50667 Cologne
Date: 14 December
Time: Approximately 5:00 pm
Format: Public candle lighting

Synagogue Community of Cologne

Address: Unter Sachsenhausen 29, 50667 Cologne
Dates: 14–22 December
Format: Community events and religious services

Other German Cities

Public Hanukkah events are also held in:

Hamburg: Rathausmarkt, 14 December, approx. 5:00 pm
Düsseldorf: Marktplatz, 14 December, approx. 4:45 pm
Stuttgart: Schlossplatz, 14 December, approx. 5:15 pm
Leipzig: Cultural venues and concerts, 14–21 December
Dresden: Neumarkt, 14 December, approx. 4:45 pm
Erfurt: Rathaus am Fischmarkt, 14 December at 5:00 pm, with daily lightings through 22 December

How to Find Current Hanukkah Events

Event information in Germany is published decentrally. Reliable sources include:

Official websites of Jewish communities
City event calendars
Museums and cultural institutions
Local news outlets

Exact times may vary slightly depending on sunset times and local arrangements.

Hanukkah in Germany is organised at the municipal and community level, not through federal regulation. Cities grant permissions for public events without assigning the holiday any special legal status.

From 14 to 22 December, Hanukkah takes place alongside Christmas markets, end-of-year shopping and normal administrative activity. Its public presence is shaped by continuity and established practice rather than large-scale spectacle.

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