German Weihnachtsmarkts and Christkindlemrkts - Part I

Linda, my wife, is in love with the painted wooden figurines from Germany’s Erzgebirge region.  Her love affair began during the 2003 Christmas holiday season when we visited the home of Inge and Udo Helmke in Halstenbek, near Hamburg.  Inge collects Erzgebirge pyramiden (a tiered platform which often contains wooden figures that rotate when the heat from candles on the unit’s base rises and strikes a ring of fan blades at the top), Engel (angels), and Rauchermänner (a figure whose body contains a platform on which scent cones are burned in such a manner that a whiff of smoke comes out of the figure’s mouth).  The Erzgebirge region is also famous for its Nussknacker(nutcrackers), but Inge does not collect these.

When we returned home from our trip, I showed Linda several dozen Erzgebirge figurines my mother had purchased during her 1966 Christmas holiday trip to Germany.  I was hoping that these would quench her appetite.  I should have known better.  She wanted more.

When Linda and I were in Germany in August, we visited the Rhineaue Park flea market in Bad Godesberg where Linda purchased five small standing-angel musician figurines.  Once the dike is breached, there is no holding back the water.  Depending on one’s point of view, of course, it was fortunate that we discovered the booth with the Erzgebirge figurines near the end of our visit to the flea market.

In early October we unexpectedly had to cancel my birthday trip to Scotland.  We flew to Germany last year on December 26, having spent Christmas day with family.  When we arrived in Köln (Cologne) and Hamburg, we found remnants of the season’s Christmas markets.  Linda asked about the traditional Christmas market.  I told her that hundreds of cities, towns, and villages hold an annual outdoor Christmas market featuring the sale of Christmas decorations, holiday gifts, food, and spirits.  Her eyes were atwinkle as she added Christmas markets on our things-to-do list in Germany.

Unfortunately, US Airways does not fly to Scotland during the winter months.  When I asked Linda how she would like to reuse our Scotland trip tickets, she suggested a trip to Germany to visit some of its famous Christmas markets.  No one has to twist my arm twice when it comes to visiting Germany.  With a nod of my head, I turned back to the computer and rebooked the tickets.

We flew from Philadelphia to München (Munich) the evening of December 9 into the morning of December 10.  After securing our luggage, we rented a car at München airport and headed north.  It was Linda’s impression we were heading for Nürnberg (Nuremberg), home of one (if not the) largest of the German Christmas markets.  We were, but I had planned a slight detour first.

In November Linda and I visited Hamburg and Mainz on behalf of Kutztown University.  During our visit Linda and I had dinner with Inge and Udo.  Inge and Udo mentioned they were heading to the Erzgebirge region the first weekend in December to visit the Weihnachtsmarkt in Annaberg.

“How close is that from the München airport?,” Linda asked.

“About five hours by car,” Udo replied.  The disappointed look on Linda’s face was evident.  To shorten a much longer story, I decided to surprise Linda.  I booked a room at the Traditionshotel Wilder Mann (Markt 13, 09546 Annaberg-Buchhoz; www.hotel-widermann.de), which is located on one corner of the square in Annaberg where the Christmas market takes place.

Linda and I arrived in Annaberg around seven in the evening.  The Christmas market was still open.  We quickly checked into the hotel and then headed across the street.  The market contained several dozen booths selling Erzgebirge figurines, a wide assortment of Christmas ornaments and decorations, lace from Plauen, toys, regional foods including stollen, potato pancakes, and, of course, an assortment of sausages, and gluehwein, a mulled red wine that is served hot and definitely eliminates any holiday chill.

I suggested to Linda that we “just look” and do our buying in the morning.  I had an ulterior motive.  I arranged for Inge and Udo and Wolfgang and Jutta Leubecher, friends who live in Ahrensberg, to join us the next morning to lend their expertise on what and where to buy.  Wolfgang and Jutta own a cabin near Lengefeld.  Although Linda and I have not seen it, Udo informed us that Jutta’s collection of Erzgebirge figurines is several times larger than Inge’s collection.

I just realized that I have been writing based on the assumption that my readers know where Germany’s Erzgebirge region is located.  Most may not.  The Erzgebirge is a mountainous region south of Plauen, Zwickau, Chemnitz, and Dresden that acts as a border between Germany and Czechoslovakia.  It divides into an eastern and western section with Marienberg serving as the middle point.

The Erzgebirge region is one of Germany’s silver mining regions.  As we drove from Scheeberg to Annaberg-Buchholz, I noticed highway signs for the Silberstrasse (silver street).  I picked up a brochure at the Traditionshotel Wilder Mann that showed the route and listed museums and historical sites along the way.  I added “spend a few days exploring the Silberstrasse” to my places to visit in Germany list.

The Erzgebirge region also is known for fine lace work.  Plauen is the center for the commercial production.  Many individuals still practice the craft at home.

Mining and lace aside, Udo and Inge, Wolfgang and Jutta, and Linda and I were in the region to purchase Erzgebirge figurines.  Annaberg-Buchholz is actually at the western end of the wooden figurine and toy production area.  Olbernhau and Seiffen are its Mecca and Medina.  Obviously, Olbernhau and Seiffen now are on Linda’s places to visit in Germany list.

Annaberg is home to several dozen shops that sell Ergebirge figurines throughout the year.  Inge recommended that we visit these shops first before checking out the market.

Annaberg is built on the side of a hill.  Check out Annaberg’s website, www.annaberg-buchholz.de, to learn more about this fascinating village.

Inge led us up Grosse Kirchgasse.  We comparison shopped along the way until we reached Langs Erzgebirgshaus (Grosse Kirchgasse 14), one of Inge’s favorite shops.  Linda immediately checked out the Schwibbogen, a window decoration featuring a silhouette cutout beneath an arch featuring candles or electric lights.

It was dusk when Linda and I left the Route 72 autobahn at Treuen and drove through the countryside to Annaberg.  As we went through village after village, we saw homes with a Schwibbogen in every window.  What would normally be a dark countryside appeared to be a fairy tale land of miniature hillside villages.

The silhouette beneath the arch of a Schwibbogen comes in a variety of scenic motifs.  A forest and/or wildlife scene, nativity, and a tribute to the miners and lace makers of the region are the three most commonly found.  Some examples feature double silhouettes, thus giving the piece a sense of depth.

Linda opted for an example featuring the miner and lace maker theme.  The cost was just over 55 Euros, roughly $75.00 US.  The final conversion result during our visit was $0.71 Euro for each US dollar.  OUCH!

In the collectibles trade, there is something called “the heat of the buying moment,” when common sense gives way to the sole urge to possess.  I should have asked if they made examples for 120 volt current.  I know they do because I have seen examples for sale in America.  But, I did not ask.  When I finally realized what I had done, I thought, “No Problem.  I will buy a converter when we get home.”  Once again, I failed to ask the obvious, “How much would it cost?”  As it turned out the answer was $38.00 tax included at Radio Shack.  Oh well, the Schwibbogen looks great in our window.

Linda has just started to buy, and it’s time to end this column.  The adventure continues in another column as we end our stay in Annaberg and head for Nürnberg and München.  I also will compare what we paid in Germany versus what the same items sell for on the United States’ retail and secondary markets.

Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet.  Check out www.harryrinker.com.

Home & Garden Television (HGTV) currently lists COLLECTOR INSPECTOR as on hiatus from January 1 through March 30, 2005.  Whether or not it returns as reruns in April depends entirely on HGTV.
 

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