How the Erzgebirge region of Germany became toymaker to the world

The Erzgebirge Mountains of eastern Germany have always been a place of playthings. Even in the 1700s at the height of its tin ore production, the miners used their work-worn hands to carve objects made of the area’s second greatest natural resource – wood. The whimsical figures delighted their children and, as the mining industry waned and finally closed in 1849, became a sole means of support for their families.

At the center of this activity, situated in a low valley surrounded by sloping mountains, is the town of Seiffen. Its very name comes from the German term ausseifen, or “sifting out” the tin ore. An important town on Saxony’s “Silver Street,” Seiffen can be considered the heart of the wood toy-making region. Visitors still come from all over the world to hike in its curative fresh air, visit its famous 1779 octagonal church and shop for wooden toys.

How such a small town – at last count in 2006 it had 2,600 inhabitants – came to be so revered is the stuff of hard work and fairy tales. As far back as 1600, the unpredictable supply of tin ore had made side work a necessity. Wood carving, popular as a local hobby, became a second occupation.

Carving skills ranged from naïve to breathtakingly accomplished. The miners quite naturally found their inspiration in everyday life. They crafted miners in their traditional dress and the “angel of light” that was known as their protector in the mines. They carved the animals and people of the village in their daily activities. Unfortunately, carvers could create only one hand-whittled piece at a time.

In terms of satisfying the demand for wooden utensils, hand-carving was too slow. About this time the technique of wood turning on water-powered lathes was entering the workplace, making it faster to produce a series of objects. Soon wood-turned spindles, plates, buttons and needle holders were being produced in larger quantities.

There is a mention of Seiffen craftsmen selling their own wares at the Leipzig trade fair in 1699, but this was not the norm. By this time Europe was a rapidly expanding market for toys, and the woodworkers were changing with the times.

Distributors or middlemen bought toys directly from the craftsmen, developed sample sets and sold the toys to retailers in Germany and abroad. The toys were taken by horse cart to important trade centers in Leipzig and Nuremberg, where they were readily accepted for their price-worthiness and high quality. Children loved them for their colorful simplicity.

From 1800 on, “Reifendrehen,” the art of ring-turning on the lathe, made it possible to produce up to 60 identical figures at one time. The wooden ring was cut with a pattern profile as it turned. When removed from the lathe and cut into slices, the finished ring revealed a herd of cows, pigs, or other animals that required little carving and finishing. Entire families were employed in carving and painting the finished product.

Special Christmas toys, such as nutcrackers, were first included in shipments around 1850. Before that, these decorative pieces were reserved for the miner and his family.

1890 brought a change in the customs duties. Instead of paying by worth, goods were taxed by weight. This challenge was met by the craftspeople of Seiffen, who began making delicate miniatures. Favorites to this day are villages in a box, small shadowbox scenes of schoolrooms or farmhouse kitchens, and, from 1905 on, tiny matchbox scenes.

To call Seiffen “Santa’s magic toy shop” would not be an exaggeration, for at Christmastime the village of Seiffen sells armies of nutcrackers, smoking men, candle pyramids and candle arches. Yet it is the building sets and miniature people and animals that have charmed generations of children the world over.

It is difficult to say what the auction price ranges are for Erzgebirge toys, as it is rare to find a complete set in its original box. Like most playthings these wooden toys were well used and well loved, and may not be in perfect condition. The tiny pieces wandered away from childish hands, leaving Noah not always with two of every animal, and miniature villages without their church or town hall. The large and elaborate pieces were most often made for the craftsmen’s own families; these rarities are usually handed down within families or end up in museums.

To give a price perspective, new Erzgebirge nutcrackers sell for upwards of $200 to $300, and large candle pyramids can easily reach $1,000.

Many of the patterns of these Erzgebirge toys are traditional and still crafted today, so collectors should be wary of the age of certain specimens. The stamp “East Germany” tips one off that the toys were made during the German Democratic Republic, i.e. after World War II and before 1989. If the piece is stamped “Deutschland” or “Germany” it was probably made before World War II. Many toy sets, perhaps because they have multiple pieces, are unmarked. Others are signed or stamped in an inconspicuous spot with the maker’s name. If you happen to be lucky enough to possess a wooden animal with a Bible verse painted on its underside, you may have an item finished by Auguste Muller, circa 1870-1930.

This article was written with assistance from Dr. K. Auerbach, director of the Erzgebirgisches Spielzeug & Freilichtmuseum, Seiffen. For more information visit the museum at: www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de.