Spring Market

That is how I interpret the German word, 'der Frühlingsmarkt'. I went to one yesterday afternoon. It was in the grounds of the "Bürgerschloss in Hohenschönhausen, which is a sub-district in the north of the district of Lichtenberg. I live in the south of the district. The word 'Bürgerschloss' is a strange combination of two words. The first word means 'citizen' and the second can mean castle, palace or even villa. It was originally built by a minor aristocrat then was taken over by the local council in the 1950s.

I am a member of a voluntary group which supports the activities of the local museum. I was asked to go to the market yesterday to help on the museum stall to promote its work and tell local people more about its activities - and to sell books about local history. I sold more books than other supporters - which surprised me!

The local Mayor was there and gave a speech, as did other members of the local council. I wandered through the garden area and enjoyed seeing so many people enjoying themselves. Of course there was always a queue for 'Bratwurst' = grilled sausage. Here you can see the men who worked hard on the grills. There were lots of information stands, different snacks and drinks on offer and play areas for children.

I spent some time at a stall offering information about the EU and the forthcoming elections. I also got into conversation with people who wanted to know what was happening in the UK about Brexit. I just smiled, shrugged my shoulders and said I only knew what was on the BBC Radio 4 news each day, and that no-one knew what was going to happen. Or if they did, they knew more than I did!  I really enjoyed my time there and helping to promote the local museum.