Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen facts for kids
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The Ore Mountain Toy Museum in Seiffen, November 2006
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| Established | 1953 |
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| Location | Seiffen, Saxony, Germany |
The Ore Mountain Toy Museum in Seiffen is a famous museum in Seiffen, Germany. It shows off amazing Ore Mountain folk art and toys. The museum first opened its doors in 1953. Later, in 1973, the Ore Mountains Open-Air Museum joined it. This open-air museum is like a village from the past. It has 14 old houses that show how people lived in the Ore Mountains before the year 1900.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's Story
How the Museum Began
The idea for the museum started with a special show in 1914. It was called the "Seiffen Wooden Toy and Merchandise Exhibition." People could see amazing wooden toys and crafts. For example, there was a Noah's Ark with 300 tiny animals!
Visitors also saw chess pieces and special wooden figures. These figures were made using a unique method called reifendrehen (ring turning). This craft was only done in Seiffen at that time.
A priest named Hermann Härtel helped organize this first exhibition. He was very interested in local history. He even added some items from his own collection to the show.
Inside an Old Ore Mountain Home
One part of the 1914 exhibition showed what an old Ore Mountain living room looked like. It had a painted bed from 1764 and a huge chest from 1734. There was also a colorful wardrobe decorated with flowers.
On a large farmer's table, you could see old household items. These included a big clay pitcher and a tin lamp. A special candlestick made of wood shavings also lit up the room. After seeing the exhibit, visitors could even buy a tiny farmhouse room in a matchbox!
The Museum Opens Its Doors
On December 5, 1920, a new toy museum officially opened. It was located in the State Trade Training School. The museum's collection grew with toys gathered since 1914. It also included the items from Hermann Härtel's collection.
For a trade show in 1944, a farmhouse living room was set up. It had a warm cocklestove and a cozy fireside bench. Christmas decorations, like angels, miners, and nutcrackers, were also on display. This was the only toy museum in Saxony at that time.
In the early 1930s, people in Seiffen wanted to create a big industrial exhibition. The State Toy School helped design the "Seiffen Toy Show" which opened in 1936.
The Museum Today
On July 5, 1953, the museum reopened as the Local History and Toy Museum. It was later renamed the Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen. The famous Dresdner Kreuzchor choir sang in Seiffen on that day.
In 1999, the toy museum was made much bigger and better. Today, it has three floors filled with about 5,000 amazing exhibits. You can learn a lot about the history of toys and folk art there.
More to Explore
- List of open-air museums in Germany
- Wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains
