Erzgebirge arts and crafts receive cultural heritage status

Angels, candle arches and pyramids from the Ore Mountains are an integral part of the Christmas season. Now this handicraft has been ennobled as intangible cultural heritage. The Conference of Culture Ministers has included it in the nationwide list, announced Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch (CDU). She spoke of "well-deserved recognition for a very special part of our homeland". For centuries, the Ore Mountains have stood for authentic craftsmanship in the best sense of the word.

The focus of the application was reportedly on maintaining, passing on and developing this tradition. The next generation of wooden toy makers and wood turners for the numerous businesses and factories are trained at a technical college in Seiffen. The Denkstatt Erzgebirge in Seiffen also develops new ideas for design, marketing and sales and promotes networking between businesses, manufacturers and creative minds.

"Global appeal" - the industry is constantly reinventing itself

"Our connection to tradition is recognized with this nationwide title, as is the global appeal of our arts and crafts," said Frederic Günther, Managing Director of the Association of Erzgebirge Artisans and Toy Manufacturers. "Our industry has always known how to reinvent itself and bring over 300-year-old craft techniques into the modern age."

The nationwide directory comprises around 150 cultural forms. These include techno culture in Berlin, the kindergarten idea, orchard cultivation and German sign language. Around a dozen entries are directly related to Saxony - from the cooperative idea and the singing of the Steigerlied to the Saxon boys' choirs and the customs and festivals of the Sorbs.