History of the Nutcracker (Page 267)

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.

History of the Nutcracker

Strolling across Christmas markets in Germany, shoppers will find unique wooden items and other figures.Read More

Make your own holiday treats

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

Pick your own Christmas tree

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

Stuttgart baseball clinic hosts college coaches from U.S.

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

Soldiers, civilians must complete casualty forms by Dec. 31

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.
Read More

German, U.S. officials sign permanent fuel ration agreement

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

Fall of Berlin Wall 20th anniversary celebrated

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

Germany
Fuel Type	Per Gallon	Per Liter	+/-
Super E10	$3.594	$.0949	-
Super	$4.155	$1.1098	-
Super Plus	$4.510	$1.191	-
Diesel	$4.157	$1.098	-

Czech Krone:	Kč 21.03
Egyptian Pound:	E£ 49.40
Hungarian Forint:	Hf 340.53
Israeli Shekel:	₪ 3.34
Polish Zloty:	zł 3.62
Turkish Lira:	₵ 39.8625

History of the Nutcracker (Page 267)

History of the Nutcracker

Make your own holiday treats

Pick your own Christmas tree

Stuttgart baseball clinic hosts college coaches from U.S.

Soldiers, civilians must complete casualty forms by Dec. 31

German, U.S. officials sign permanent fuel ration agreement

Fall of Berlin Wall 20th anniversary celebrated

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History of the Nutcracker (Page 267)