The advert, addressed to “women who may be interested”, read: “Over the first two days of Christmas I have realised that we simply don’t belong together any more. I would like to give up my husband.”

She added: “I am happy to negotiate the price. But no exchange. Please send me inquiries over email.”

The husband was apparently unaware of the advert until contacted by the Hamburg couple’s local newspaper, the Hamburger Abendblatt.

The woman said: “I got a lot of positive feedback and someone sent me a lot of smiley emoticons.

“I didn’t want to make a drama out of it at all. It was just for some amusement.”