Parades and Events in Public Spaces

If your St. Martin's procession does NOT fall under the permit requirement described above, please note the following recommendations, which are aimed at ensuring the safety of participants:

1. If existing sidewalks are not sufficient for conducting the St. Martin's procession, it is necessary for traffic safety reasons to use only the far-right side of the roadway, with a maximum of three people walking side by side.

2. The beginning and end of the procession must be marked by specially designated vehicles (lead and rear vehicles) or individuals, if necessary also at side junctions along the procession route. The marking must be sufficiently conspicuous and clearly visible. Accompanying vehicles may use yellow flashing lights (hazard warning lights), and accompanying individuals should be equipped with reflective vests.

3. In accordance with § 27 para. 4 StVO, processions during dusk, in darkness, or when visibility conditions require it (§ 17 para. 1 StVO), must be marked at the front with non-dazzling lights with white light and at the rear with red light or yellow flashing lights.

4. A sufficient number of reliable marshals must be deployed to ensure that all measures to prevent dangers to participants in the St. Martin's procession and other road users are observed. Marshals are only authorized to give instructions to event participants and do not have police powers. Additionally, marshals should be clearly identifiable in an appropriate manner (e.g., by armbands or reflective vests). Before the St. Martin's procession, marshals should be appropriately briefed on their responsibilities and informed about any particularities of the route.

5. Participants in the St. Martin's procession should also be informed in an appropriate manner about any particularities of the route before the procession begins.

6. Participants in the St. Martin's procession do not have any priority in road traffic and must comply with traffic regulations.

7. Participating horses must be attended to by their handlers. Furthermore, it is recommended

• to take out an organizer's liability insurance for the St. Martin's procession with a coverage limit of €250,000.00,

• to obtain liability insurance for animal owners if horses are participating, and

• - as a precaution - to engage a medical service from a recognized medical organization.

In case of doubt, you can contact the staff of the road traffic office, the police station responsible for you, or their directorate for hazard prevention and operations, as you may have done in previous years.
It should be noted, however, that a large number of smaller and larger St. Martin's processions take place almost simultaneously, with the possible result that the police may not be able to accompany all processions.
In this regard, it may be worth considering whether a collaboration with one or more other organizations might be an option for you.

If you decide on such a collaboration, please note that increasing the number of participants to 500 or more will again result in a permit requirement (see above)!

If the police accompany your St. Martin's procession, it goes without saying that their instructions must be followed immediately. Moreover, deviations from the other behavioral rules listed above should generally only occur at the instruction of the accompanying police, if applicable.