There
are many opportunities for buying trinkets and decorations. As in every country,
you find souvenir shops and gift stores (Geschenke). There are year-round
Christmas emporiums (notable: Kaethe Wohlfahrt in Rothenburg). Don't forget the
annual Christmas markets -- Weihnachtsmarkt! Gifts abound, too, at the ubiquitous
flea markets (Flohmarkt).
This page presents a few of our personal favorites. If you happen to be a German, wondering what a middle-class American might enjoy for decorating their home, why not take guidance from these selections?
Note: I hope to add more items to the page as I photograph them; the current scope is limited, but we have many more beautiful and treasured things to show!
I'm
sure you've seen this type of Christmas decoration, with angels circling around
as the heat from burning candles propels the fan on top. We found this one at a Flohmarkt
(flea market) in Herrenberg, one of our first purchases in Germany. Ironically,
Americans were selling it! It was rare to find Americans selling things at the
flea markets, but I did encounter several over the two years of our visit. I
think you'd want to be pretty confident with your language skills to attempt to
sell your old junk to the German public!
Nutcrackers
are one of the most "German" of all decorations. They come in hundreds
of varieties. Some are seasonal, like the Santa shown here, but most can be
displayed all year 'round. Don't confuse the real German nutcrackers with cheap
Chinese imports! The oriental ones (also available in Germany) are definitely
inferior. And you can get them anywhere; what's special about that?
We liked shopping for nutcrackers at Kaethe Wohlfahrt stores at the Weihnachtsmarkt and in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. There was one at the Stuttgart military base (Patch), priced in American dollars, but limited to military personnel. You can find nutcrackers in the Black Forest, Rhine River Valley (e.g., Bacherach), and all other major tourist destinations and major department stores. Prices range from around 50 DM up.
This
is a "must have" Christmas candle decoration. It doesn't fit in our
American window very well, but if anything screams "Germany" this is
it! Made in the famous Erzgebirge region in former East Germany, it is one of
many hand-made wooden decorations (Erzegebirge is best known for nutcrackers). The only
problem for us is that the bulbs are about 30 volts, wired in series. With the
European 220 volt system they are perfect. Plugged into an American 110 volt
supply they glow at less than half their usual brightness. I haven't found the
required 15 volt bulbs to match our power, but it's still a treasured
decoration! About 150 to 400 DM.
The
ceramic "Licht Haus" is made in Germany, not far from Rothenburg. They
come in dozens of styles with a choice of colors. Every year a limited edition
model is introduced, just for that year. We visited the factory and saw them
being made; we also got to shop in the "seconds" showroom! Prices
range from 35 DM up.
Comments to Steve and Barbara Hall
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