German Erzgebirge Nutcracker

German wooden nutcrackers are very popular all over the world. Most of them are made in the German Erzgebirge which is low mountain range in eastern Germany. The Erzgebirge is part of the German State Saxony and lies close to the border to the Czech Republic. Besides the famous nutcracker the Erzgebirge is also known for wooden Christmas pyramids, incense smokers and Schwibbogen light arches.The history of decorative nutcrackers goes back to the 17th century. In the beginning they had just been crafted for children but since the 19th century many adults have discovered these wonderful wooden creatures for themselves. The popularity of the Erzgebirge nutcrackers increased dramatically when Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” premiered in 1892. Like centuries ago the Erzgebirge companies still make nutcrackers in over 100 work procedures. The most popular workshops are Steinbach Marienberg / Hohenhameln, Christian Ulbricht Seiffen and KWO Olbernhau. Steinbach and Ulbricht brought the German nutcrackers to a different level. The classic Erzgebirge nutcrackers always had an authority of the 19th century as an image. Most common are kings, soldiers, hussars and policemen. Steinbach and Ulbricht started with to craft many new models each year in modern designs. Particularly nutcrackers of famous persons such as American Presidents and Generals have become very popular. By also limiting (Steinbach Limited Editions) the number of produced pieces some of the nutcrackers have become worth over 1000 USD. In the USA there are several nutcracker collectors who own over 1000 pieces.