Aale-Dieter is fighting against the extinction of market barkers in Hamburg!

Aale-Dieter is fighting against the extinction of market barkers in Hamburg!

The name Aale-Dieter simply belongs at the Hamburg fish market. With 66 years of experience at the stand, Dieter Bruhn, known as Aale-Dieter, doesn't let himself be defeated so easily - even if the maritime barkers are gradually dying out in the Hanseatic city. “We only have 6 to 7 barkers, there used to be 15,” he reports, casting a concerned look at the future of the traditional market. Loud World The loss of barkers is mainly due to the age of the sellers and the lack of young people.

Aale-Dieter, born on January 21, 1939, never saw himself as a simple market barker. For him it's about entertainment, about creating a special atmosphere. “I often start preparing the fresh eels at my stand on the banks of the Elbe before dawn,” he says. His customers continue to come in stable numbers, but the clientele has changed. "The price of eels has increased. Thirty years ago an eel cost about half of what it costs today," he adds. An eel as a bonus for larger purchases was once a popular incentive, which he still uses today to make buyers happy.

Tradition in change

The barkers at the market, which is over 300 years old, face several challenges. Before the corona pandemic, there were around 120 sellers, but today there are only 80 to 100, as Dieter Egert, a board member of the regional association of outpatient businesses and showmen in Hamburg, explains. The fish market without the memorable voice of Aale-Dieter and his colleagues could lose its attractiveness and no longer offer the lively flair that characterizes it so much.

In order to stimulate competition among the barkers, they are known to motivate each other with funny taunts, as shown by the example of Hoffmann, a 61-year-old barker from Attendorn. He makes his customers laugh with ridicule and thereby draws attention to his stand. “Beers after work with the other barkers is a tradition,” smiles Hoffmann, who is not thinking about retirement yet and wants to run his stand as long as he is well. “It's been half my life working here,” said the promising barker, who appreciates the joy of sales and the acquaintances that his job brings, as reported by WDR.

A musical heart

However, Aale-Dieter has not only perfected his craft. He also enjoyed musical training and even released a CD with hits called “What can a person dream about?” carries. This passion for music rounds off his charisma at the stand and makes the audience smile. His extraordinary sales strategies have already earned him several awards, including one from a respected magazine, which named him one of the ten best salespeople in Germany in 1989.

While it is clear in Hamburg that the change in the barker scene is noticeable, Aale-Dieter remains an integral part of the fish market tradition and reminds us that despite all the challenges, the joy of a fresh eel and the art of selling should always remain alive. “I’ll just keep going,” says the 86-year-old, “as long as my customers come and laugh.”