Near the Czech-German border on the ridge of the central Erzgebirge lies the toy village of Seiffen. Tin mining was the economic mainstay of the region for almost 400 years. Toy manufacturing, an avocation of mine workers, developed into its primary industry when poor mining, technical problems, and cheaper overseas imports caused the ultimate demise of mining.

     Seiffen dominated the toy trade with cheap, mass-produced, lathe-turned articles. Trade with Nürnberg promoted toy manufacturing, and soon the village developed into the European center of toy production. Cheaper production methods were developed. Hoop-turning in particular advanced the production of toys in series. By 1850, Noah’s Ark became the best-selling export to America.

     A special development of the region was the miniature toy. This unique form was necessitated by economics - the price of wood was rising and customs fees for Saxon toys were based on weight as opposed to worth. Thus the famous miniature-in-a-matchbox, in more than 100 different motifs, was born.

     Today Seiffen is well known for its splendid Christmas folk art. The traditional candle-holding miner and angel figures, the smoking men, and nutcrackers are symbols of the Erzgebirge.

     The Erzgebirgisches Spielzeugmuseum displays more than 3,000 colorful examples of lathe-turned, wooden folk art objects, including toys, Christmas ornaments, nutcrackers, chandeliers and miniatures. Beginning with the decline of the tin mining industry, texts and photographs illustrate important social, cultural and economic conditions which developed the village into a toy center. Workshop exhibits offer a glimpse into the toymaker’s life.

     Browse through the wooden treasures in the profusion of little shops in the village. Many of these family-owned enterprises have been in existence for generations. At the Schauwerkstatt der Seiffener Volkskunst, Bahnhofstrasse 12, you can watch the craftsmen at work, turning rings on the lathe to make carved animals in the traditional way.