Wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains

The history of wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains is closely bound to regional circumstances.

With the onset of ore mining a new line of commerce developed, but the hard labour and high risks involved meant that it was only work for young and strong men.

It was not long before the winnings of silver ore fell in many parts of the mountains and numerous pits had to close.

This hardship forced its inhabitants to look for other work and, thanks to abundance of timber in the region, the manufacture of wooden toys became an important secondary source of income.

Production is concentrated today in the toymaking village of Seiffen and its surrounding area in the middle of the so-called "German Christmas Land" as the Ore Mountains are called.