Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen facts for kids
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Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). The Ore Mountain Toy Museum in Seiffen (German: Erzgebirgische Spielzeugmuseum Seiffen) is a famous museum in Seiffen, Germany. It shows off amazing toys and traditional art from the Ore Mountains. The museum first opened its doors in 1953.
Later, in 1973, another museum was added. This was the Ore Mountains Open-Air Museum (Erzgebirgische Freilichtmuseum). It's like a village with 14 old houses. These houses show how people lived in the Ore Mountains before the year 1900.
Contents
History of the Museum
The idea for the toy museum started a long time ago. It began with a special show called the Seiffen Wooden Toy Show. This show took place from July 9 to August 3, 1914.
It cost 50 pfennigs to get in, or 25 pfennigs for kids. Visitors loved seeing things like a Noah's Ark with 300 tiny animals. There were also chess pieces and larger animal figures. These were cut from big pieces of wood.
How the Museum Started
The show also featured special wooden toys. These were made using a technique called reifendrehen (ring turning). This unique way of making toys was only done in Seiffen at that time. Other items included fancy carvings and objects covered in straw.
A priest named Hermann Härtel helped organize the exhibition. He was born in 1864 and passed away in 1919. He was the head of a local trade group for many years. Härtel also added some items from his own collection to the show.
An Old-Fashioned Parlour
One room in the exhibition looked like an old Ore Mountain living room. It had a painted four-poster bed from 1764. There was also a huge chest from 1734 and a colorful wardrobe from 1798. A large farmer's table with valuable wood was also on display.
On the table, you could see a big clay pitcher from 1739. There was also a tin lamp and an open family bible. A special candlestick made from wood shavings completed the room. After seeing everything, visitors could even buy a tiny farmhouse room in a matchbox!
On December 5, 1920, a new toy museum officially opened. It was located in the State Trade Training School. The collection of old and new toys grew thanks to its founder, Professor Alwin Seifert. He added the Härtel Collection to the museum.
For a trade show in 1944, a farmhouse living room was set up. It had a cocklestove (a type of tiled oven) and a bench by the fire. A candelabra hung over the table, giving the room a Christmas feel. Christmas angels, miners, nutcrackers, and Räuchermännel (smoking figures) were also part of the display. At that time, it was the only toy museum in Saxony.
The Museum Today
In the early 1930s, people in Seiffen wanted to create a main industrial exhibition. The State Toy School helped design the Seiffen Toy Show, which opened in 1936.
On July 5, 1953, the museum opened again. It was first called the Local History and Toy Museum. Later, its name was changed to the Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen. The first visitor to the museum was Rudolf Mauersberger. He was a famous choir director.
In 1999, the toy museum was made much bigger and better. Today, it has three floors. You can see about 5,000 different items there. There is also lots of information about the history of toys and folk art.
See also
- List of open-air museums in Germany
- Wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains
