The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is a place for authentic gifts and collectibles that bring joy to our visitors and showcase century-old traditions from different regions in Germany. This year, we are excited to bring a custom, hand-made, glass ornament from Lauscha to our new Werkstatt Souvenirs Hut. This unique specialty item bears the Carmel Christkindlmarkt name and is limited to 500 pieces.
Inviting artisans from historically significant regions in Germany has been a big part of the Market’s success since 2017. The Werkstatt (“Workshop”) concept at the Market evolved from showcasing traditional woodworking methods from the Erzgebirge to including other regions and art forms. Given the strong connection between Christmas and German glass ornaments, the need for glassblowers from Lauscha to provide authentic demonstrations became apparent.
In 2022, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt’s CEO Maria Adele Rosenfeld traveled to Lauscha to learn more about the town, the artisans, and the glassblowing trade. Lauscha is nestled in the Thuringian Forest in a remote region of Germany. What was once a busy town of shops, glass manufacturing, and tourism is now a historic destination to leave the hustle and bustle of the daily grind behind. Lauscha is home to the Museum für Glasskunst and a close-knit community of the last remaining glass-blowing families. Building strong relationships across cultures takes time, patience and mutual trust.
In 2023, Sandra Richardson served as the Director of Cultural Programs at the Market. As a German native who grew up two hours east from Lauscha, she enjoys a special connection with our partners in Germany, and she has a deep understanding of the culture and building strong relationships. We feel honored that Falk Bauer and Katrin Zapf agreed to represent Lauscha’s heritage and tradition at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt in 2023. Falk was instrumental in expanding the Werkstatt program to include universal glass blowing equipment. After a successful visit in Carmel that deepened the cross-cultural friendship, Falk also introduced Maria and Sandra to other Lauscha artisans for future collaborations.
Over the course of 2024 and several visits later, Maria and Sandra had the pleasure of getting to know Bärbel and Rolf Köhler of Jingle Bells Lauscha. Keeping friendship and mutual respect in the forefront of this new relationship, led to a trusting collaboration to develop a custom ornament for the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. During the design process, several Carmel icons, Market installations, colors, and features were explored. In late Spring, everyone agreed on a winning design, and in July, Sandra and Maria got to experience first-hand what makes Lauscha ornaments so special. (Including trying their luck at glass blowing!)
Every step of the production process is done by hand, undergoes strict quality control, and results in a series of unique ornaments where none is like the other. This particular method of producing glass ornaments has gained UNESCO World Heritage status and is unique to Lauscha. It is a trade worth preserving and the Carmel Christkindlmarkt team is proud to partner with craftsmen and -women from Lauscha. Enjoy meeting our partners in this documentary about Lauscha and our ornament:The Glassblowers of Lauscha: Preservers of Glass Art
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