Christmas in the Erzgebirge: Smoking Men, Schwibbögen & Pyramids
Smoking men, Schwibbögen and pyramids: discover the Erzgebirge Christmas around Schwarzenberg – with the Sonnenhotel Hoher Hahn as your base.
When the days grow shorter and the first mists drift over the hills of the Erzgebirge, something truly special begins in this region. From the first Sunday of Advent, the Erzgebirge transforms into a glowing "Land of Christmas", where people steeped in tradition adorn their homes with smoking men, Schwibbögen and pyramids. Until Candlemas, a warm light glows in the windows – a light that tells of centuries-old craftsmanship and a deeply rooted mining culture. Join us on a little journey through the symbols that make this Advent season so unmistakable.
The Schwibbogen: A Longing for Light
Hardly any symbol embodies the Erzgebirge Christmas quite like the Schwibbogen. Its name derives from the geometric shape of a floating or flying arch, familiar from architecture. Yet behind the elegant form lies a touching story: the lights of the Schwibbogen symbolise the miners' longing for daylight, which – especially during the winter months – they often did not see for weeks on end.
The oldest known Schwibbogen from the Erzgebirge dates from the year 1740. It was crafted in Johanngeorgenstadt and is made of metal – the date was only discovered in 2003 beneath a more recent layer of paint. Particularly famous is the Schwarzenberg Schwibbogen, whose design was created in 1937 by the Leipzig illustrator Paula Jordan as part of a competition launched by the manufacturer Friedrich Emil Krauß. That same year, Krauß had the motif protected as a trademark.
Look more closely and you will discover, in the Schwarzenberg Schwibbogen, two miners bearing a coat of arms with the Saxon electoral swords, alongside a wood carver and a lacemaker. The arch thus embodies three of the principal livelihoods of the rural population of the Erzgebirge in the 18th and 19th centuries – a piece of living regional history rendered in wood and light.
Pyramids: Warmth Brings Motion
The Christmas pyramid is a small technical marvel. The rising air warmed by the candles sets the vane wheel and the platforms connected to the shaft turning – a quiet, almost meditative motion that has enchanted entire generations. The term "pyramid", incidentally, is said to have first appeared in 1716 in the Schneeberg town and mining chronicle.
Miners were reminded of the form of a horse whim by the basic shape of the pyramid. Whether the warm-air-driven vane pyramid actually arose in imitation of such whim mechanisms cannot, however, be proven – a lovely example of how technology and tradition are so closely interwoven in the Erzgebirge. The region's first outdoor pyramid was built in 1931. The Krauß pyramid in Schwarzenberg, erected in 1933/34, is today considered the oldest surviving outdoor pyramid – an impressive piece of Erzgebirge Christmas history right on our doorstep.
Smoking Men: When the Fragrance Rises
No Erzgebirge Christmas room is complete without the cosy fragrance of the incense cone. With the smoking man, the smoke from the cone burning inside rises upwards and emerges from the figure's mouth. The making of Erzgebirge incense cones began around 1750 in Crottendorf, while the wooden smoking men were crafted around 1850 by Ferdinand Frohs and Gotthelf Friedrich Haustein in Heidelberg near Seiffen.
The classic motifs tell of life in the mountains: miners, toy makers, hunters, woodcutters, pedlars and besom binders. Each figure is a little portrait of Erzgebirge craftsmanship – and a loving tribute to the people who have shaped this region over the centuries.
A Living Tradition: Miners' Parades and World Heritage
The Erzgebirge Christmas lives not only in the cosy parlours, but also out on the streets. Miners' parades arose in the Saxon Erzgebirge as a public expression of mining-shaped communities. Today they take place above all during the Advent season in December in numerous Erzgebirge towns – including Schwarzenberg, as well as Annaberg-Buchholz, Freiberg and Marienberg. In December 2016, the German Commission for UNESCO added "Miners' parades and processions in Saxony" to the Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Schwarzenberg itself also wears the legacy of mining for all to see: the town is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Montanregion Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří. The Rother Berg mining landscape is an official component, while Schloss Schwarzenberg is an associated object of the World Heritage region. Anyone wishing to delve deeper into the history of the region will find many more ideas in our Erzgebirge guide.
Not far away lies the "toy village" of Seiffen, first mentioned as early as 26 July 1324. It was here, around 1800, that the world-unique technique of ring turning was developed – a craft to which we owe many of the delicate wooden figures that adorn the Land of Christmas today.
Your Base for the Erzgebirge Christmas
As richly varied as the region's customs are, all the more welcome is a peaceful place to round off the day. Our Sonnenhotel Hoher Hahn lies in a tranquil hillside setting near Schwarzenberg, the "pearl of the Erzgebirge". After a day full of lights, fragrances and craftsmanship, our indoor pool invites you to relax, the Finnish sauna warms you through, and in the restaurant half board and culinary themed evenings await you.
Hiking and cycling trails begin right at the house, and in winter the ski lift on the edge of the village is just a stone's throw away. Whether you wish to visit the miners' parades, roam through the snow-covered landscape or simply let the magic of the Land of Christmas work upon you – we look forward to welcoming you as your hosts through a truly special Advent season.