A demonstration against Germany's pandemic containment measures in the southern city of Nuremberg on Sunday was sharply criticized for being held close to the former Nazi party rally grounds.

The timing of the protest was also criticized as Sunday marks the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's appointment as German chancellor in 1933.

However, there were significantly fewer participants than expected, and a police spokesperson estimated the participants numbered between 3,500 and 4,000 people.

In Munich, some 10,000 people were expected to demonstrate at the Theresienwiese, the city's traditional Oktoberfest venue. However, only 1,000 people turned up for the demonstration, according to the police.

Around 4,000 people took part in a march against COVID-19 measures in Frankfurt on Saturday.

The crowd gathered in the city center carrying signs saying, "My body belongs to me - Free decision on medical preventive measures."

The majority of protesters violated mask mandate and social distancing requirements early on in the march, at which point the police intervened to bring it to a halt for some time.

Criminal proceedings were initiated against one participant for carrying an umbrella that also served as a weapon. In addition, protesters set off fireworks, a police spokesperson said on Sunday.

A large police presence throughout the city included police units with water cannons and a helicopter. After the initial halt, however, the rest of the rally proceeded largely without incident and ended by early evening, the police said.

Saturday's protest march was one of the largest across Germany. A rally in Freiburg attracted an estimated 4,500 people, while there were other sizeable protests in Leipzig, Zwönitz, Brandenburg an der Havel, Schwerin and Cuxhaven.