History of the Nutcracker
Strolling across Christmas markets in Germany, shoppers will find unique wooden items and other figures.Read More
Strolling across Christmas markets in Germany, shoppers will find unique wooden items such as nutcrackers, Christmas pyramids, angels and other figures. The origin of these holiday items goes back to the 17th century in the Erzgebirge, a mountain area near the Czech border.
After ore became scarce, many miners were forced to do something else, so they began turning everyday items into little toy figures for their children, which eventually led to an entire new industry.
The miners created different figures as an artistic expression of their interests and political concerns. One of the first items created was a wooden figure of a miner smoking his pipe called “Räuchermännchen,” or smoking man. To express their longing for daylight after working years in the mountain, they also produced light angels. With the creation of mean-looking nutcrackers, they intended to insult the magistracy (government). Former miners also produced wooden policemen, foresters, soldiers and high authorities with scowling faces – that was their way of insulting the government and showing them that they were treating the miners unjustly.
In 1699, a wood craftsman from the town of Seiffen, which is located in the Erzgebirge, transported his homemade products on a wheelbarrow to the fair in Leipzig.
Commercial relations were established, especially with the town of Nuremberg. That’s how the manufacturing of these unique toys started.
Since the standard of living was quite low in the Erzgebirge, the products were sold at cheap prices and thus faced little competition.
Eventually, the former ore-mining town of Seiffen turned into the European center of toy production with exports to the United States starting in 1784. The most popular item that was exported to the states was “Noah’s ark.” The little animals were made with a special technique – wheel turning.
Craftsmen prepared wooden wheels and cut the figures out, a technique still alive today in Seiffen, the town of toys.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the production of miniature toy figures became more and more popular. By 1890, customs were charged according to weight and not to the value of the products in exporting to other countries.
This made it more expensive to export big toys. At the same time, wood prices increased.
Nowadays, the Erzgebirge region is well known for traditional Christmas symbols – miners carrying lights, angels, nutcrackers, nativity scenes, Christmas pyramids and wooden archs.
The mining, longing for light, joy of celebrating Christmas and the love of the miners for their children were the predominant reasons for this specific type of toy production.
Strolling across Christmas markets in Germany, shoppers will find unique wooden items and other figures.Read More
Glühwein Recipe Ingredients: • 0,75 l red wine • 10 cubes of sugar • 2 oranges • 2 cinnamon sticks • 20 cloves Directions: Combine wine and sugar in a pot to heat, but do not boil the wine. Stick cloves into one half of the oranges (this way youRead More
Several local tree farms allow patrons to select and cut their own Christmas tree: Tannengrün Schaible Herterstraße 7, 71254 Ditzingen Phone: 0170-7720933 E-mail: Tannengruen-Schaible@gmx.de. Weihnachtsbäume Markus Silcher Heckbachstr. 7, 71404 Korb-Kleinheppach Phone: 07151-606758 or 0170-868-8901 Zabergäu-Tanne Bernhard Schmoll Nordhausener Str. 34, 74336 Brackenheim-Hausen Phone: 07135-6468 or 0173-8712016 E-mail: kb.schmoll@gmx.de.Read More
Only one thing could make 40 teenage boys run bases, catch grounders
and practice their swing during a cold, wet November weekend in
Stuttgart, Germany: the love of the game.
And the yells of encouragement from five college baseball coaches from the United States.Read More
The Department of the Army has required that all units and agencies
have 100 percent accountability on casualty processing forms by Dec.
31.
The Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center now uses the
Interactive Personnel Electronic Records Management System to view a
Soldier’s DD Form 93 and Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Election
and Certificate for all casualty notification cases, to include Very
Serious Injury and Serious Injury.
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Gas privileges extended to more government personnel, vehicles
MANNHEIM, Germany — The final arrangement governing use of the fuel
ration card for U.S. servicemembers and eligible civilian employees in
Germany is now in effect, U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost
Marshal officials announced.Read More
On behalf of the U.S. European Command Headquarters noncommissioned officers, EUCOM Headquarters Commandant Command Sgt. Major Delbert Hoskins presents Fleet Master Chief Roy M. Maddocks, representing the EUCOM Headquarters, with a plaque commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Nov. 20 during a ceremony on PatchRead More
“DUI… it’s not worth it. Call a cab!” and “Choose your ride: Don’t Drink and Drive.”
These posters are located on every U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart
installation. What may not be so well-known is the impact they, along
with their creator, the garrison Army Substance Abuse Program, have on
the community.
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The Stuttgart intramural soccer team defeated the top-seeded Grafenwoehr in Italy, Oct. 25, 2009.Read More
For more information on the “Trace of Remembrance” project, visit www.spur-der-erinnerung.de.Read More
In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, several key
leaders in U.S. Army Europe lauded disabled persons for their continued
perseverence with both working in and service to the armed forces.Read More
To help prepare for the increase in confirmed H1N1 influenza cases in
the Stuttgart military community, the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart
conducted a pandemic influenza table top exercise at the Swabian
Special Events Center Oct. 29.Read More
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Susan Morris is the best teacher in the Department of Defense. Read More
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