4–20 December 2026 Johann Friedrich Miethe of Halle, who had been running a confectionery and gingerbread bakery at 46 Charlottenstraße since 1820, purchased the site in 1830 and had a chocolate factory built there. The factory itself stood in the courtyard of the property, right on the banks of the River Havel. This allowed for inexpensive and convenient delivery of raw materials. The buildings facing the street were used as a residence and as an office with retail facilities. In this factory, Miethe produced his chocolate with the aid of a steam engine. This technical innovation enabled Miethe to mass-produce his chocolate, the manufacture of which was very difficult at the time and was therefore only produced in relatively small quantities. However, Miethe had developed a process that allowed for machine production whilst maintaining the highest quality. Soon, ‘steam chocolate’ was on everyone’s lips. The feedback from partners, guests and participants at the first event in 2025 was very positive. The history, theme, setting and scale of the event transformed the Old Market into a …