Erfurt (dpa/th) - To protect against fires, several municipalities have banned New Year's Eve fireworks in certain areas this year. According to the State Office for Consumer Protection, prohibition orders were issued for the historic old towns of Weimar, Rudolstadt and Bad Langensalza, for example, as a spokeswoman for the authorities announced on Wednesday on request.
Also in Bad Blankenburg, Gotha, Saalfeld, Schleusingen and Wasungen the firing of rockets, firecrackers and batteries is forbidden in some areas of the towns. Sparklers, crackers and table fireworks are not affected by the ban.
In Gotha, for example, the ban on firecrackers applies to the area around Friedenstein Castle, in Rudolstadt to Heidecksburg and the surrounding area. In Bad Langensalza, the medieval half-timbered houses are to be protected from damage by New Year's Eve rockets, in Weimar, among other things, the city palace and Frauenplan. According to the authorities, firecrackers in the immediate vicinity of churches, hospitals, children's and old people's homes are prohibited throughout Thuringia.
