The Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) region of Saxony has been the German heartland of wooden toy-making since the 17th century, when miners turned to woodwork in winter. Seiffen, its most famous village, still produces Christmas pyramids, smoking men (Räuchermann), nutcrackers, and turned figures using techniques passed through generations. Nuremberg — home of the world's oldest and largest toy fair — has been a toy-trading hub since medieval times. Steiff of Giengen invented the modern teddy bear in 1902 and still makes them the traditional mohair way.
Traditional toys and games of Germany
Erzgebirge wooden toys
Turned and hand-painted figures from the Ore Mountains — miners, angels, nutcrackers.
Nutcracker figures
The uniformed toy-soldier nutcracker, a Seiffen speciality since the 1800s.
Räuchermann
Smoking-man incense figures — smoke rises from the mouth when incense cone burns inside.
Christmas pyramids
Multi-tiered candle-driven rotating pyramids showing nativity or forest scenes.
Steiff teddy bears
Traditional mohair jointed teddy bears — button-in-ear since 1904.