From the long-established wooden goods manufacture, the production of the Sonneberg toys known as Nuremberg trinkets developed from the 16th century onwards.

From 1805, with the introduction of paper mache, Sonneberg developed into a toy production center with international status, especially in the manufacture of dolls (see also: F. M. Schilling).

In 1883 the industrial school was opened in Mühlgasse 4, where artistic porcelain, glass and toy design was taught.

[5] In addition to the term world toy city, Sonneberg advanced to become the “workshop of the Santa Claus”.

The five-storey reinforced concrete building with its own siding was built according to plans by the Sonneberg architect Walter Buchholz.

It was served by an unnaturally winding railway route and thus became somewhat isolated from the rest of East Germany.

[7] The 14th Franconian Day was celebrated on July 6 and 7, 2019 by the district of Upper Franconia together with the Bavarian state government and the two host cities Sonneberg and Neustadt bei Coburg for the first time across borders with over 25,000 visitors under the motto: GEMEINSAM.FRÄNKISCH.STARK.

The HySon Institute for Applied Hydrogen Research emerged in February 2021 from a network of actors from business and science.