The Erzgebirge Region

For centuries, nutcracker makers in the German Erzgebirge have been crafting some of the world's most handsome, prized forms of nutcracker. Here's a look at the mountainous Erzgebirge region and some of the wooden nutcracker manufacturers still located there today.

Nestled at the border between Germany and the Czech Republic, the Erzgebirge was once a center for gold, silver, tin and ore mining. In fact, the word "Erzgebirge" literally means "Ore Mountains" in German.

As the mines' supply began to dwindle around the 15th Century, many Erzgebirge inhabitants turned to lace making, wood carving, and nutcracker making.

The Erzgebirge Nutcracker
An early pioneer of large nutcracker making in Erzgebirge was Wilhelm Fuchtner, often considered the father of the Erzgebirge nutcracker. Known for using an efficient lathe to create the Christmas nutcracker, Fuchtner used beech, pine, and other woods.

Erzebirge Santa with Reindeer Nutcracker

Fuchtner's nutcracker designs were simple, usually only employing a few colors and featuring simple characters like policemen or foresters.

Today, the Fuchtner Werkstatt Company remains a top producer of the original Erzgebirge nutcracker, and the company remains under family ownership.

Erzgebirge Nutcracker Companies
Here's a look at some other nutcracker collectible manufacturers in the German Erzgebirge region:

Richard Glaesser: Known for an unusual variety of chubby nutcracker, this Erzgebirge factory's nutcracker designs and other wooden treasures are favorites with collectors.
Dieter Legler: A large factory, nutcracker maker Dieter Legler has been in the German Erzgebirge region for three generations.
Kwo: Another larger Erzgebirge company, Kwo produces an exclusive line of nutcracker soldier dolls.