Glück Auf! (Greetings!) This is a typical greeting you will see and hear in the Erzgebirge region. This greeting is connected to the mining tradition of the Erzgebirge region. The mountains of this region are rich with ore, the raw material for tin, silver and other precious metals. During the 14th century, this industry was booming, but due to war, poor infrastructure and the ore running out, many mines shut down during the 17th century. Without that main source of income, the people of the Erzgebirge region started looking for another livelihood. With a plentiful source of wood, woodworking became the new source of income for the region.
This is where the traditional art comes from! Many of the wooden figures such as the Nussknacker (Nutcracker) are modeled after the workers of the Erzgebirge such as miners, soldiers, and farmers. Other traditional art you will see are the räuchermänner (smoking men) and Christmas pyramids. In the smoking men, you can place a cone of incense and the smoke will blow out of their mouths. The Christmas pyramids have multiple tiers, with each tier holding religious or cultural figures. The pyramid spins by a fan on the top which is moved by the heat of the candles. One of the most recognizable pieces of traditional, Erzgebirge art is the schwibbogen (arches with candles) which are placed in people's windows during advent. These arches also have carved designs on the inside depicting daily life, towns or winter scenes.
