Advent Calendar 2025

Christmas Baubles

Behind the fourteenth door are two Christmas baubles. The white baubles feature a print celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Gläserne Manufaktur in Dresden, showing the factory’s silhouette in gray. On the top, there is a silver wreath fitting with a wire for hanging.

Box of Incense Cones

Behind the seventeenth door is a pack of Original Crottendorfer incense cones from the Ore Mountains. Lighting incense cones during Advent is a cherished tradition, creating a cozy and festive atmosphere. Popular scents include fir, frankincense, lavender, and forest honey. The 1977 box depicts a little incense man and a chip tree against a snowy backdrop and contains 72 cones for 90 pfennigs.

Parent Glove

Behind the fourth door, you will find a so-called parent glove. It is a mitten made of red boiled wool with an orange cuff. There is a special feature: it has an additional opening, allowing children to place their hands inside the parent’s glove.

Postcard – Market in Winter

Behind the thwenty-first door is a postcard from Chemnitz. It dates back to 1905 and shows the snow-covered main market with its monuments, the Old Town Hall, and the tower of St. Jakobi Church. The card was addressed to Mr. Paul Otto, the chief cashier of the “VDH” (Association of German Clerks) in Leipzig. Below the image, it reads, “Heartfelt wishes for the New Year.”

Box of Chocolate

Behind the sixth door is a light blue chocolate package. The small box contained the little chocolate coins called “Chokis,” decorated with various animal motifs. The packaging features a scene from the fairy tale “Frau Holle.” Known in the GDR under VEB Rotstern, the company Rotstern Schokoladen GmbH still produces these chocolates today in Weißenfels.

Box of Ski Wax Applicators

Behind the tenth door is a box of ski wax applicators, a tool used to apply wax to skis. It is in its original packaging, which features, among other things, the Cirine-Werke Chemnitz logo and an athlete using the device. The sides of the box provide information about the product’s benefits.

Tinsel

Behind the eighteenth door is a pack of tinsel. The box contains thin, silver tinsel strands. It was produced by VEB Alu-Glas Lauscha. The highlight of the packaging is the festive illustration on the top, showing several elves and Santa Claus traveling through a snowy landscape in various vehicles, carrying plenty of gifts in their luggage.

Advertising Card

Behind the twenty-fourth door is a Christmas card from around 1920. The NW&K Wool Yarns advertising card shows a shepherd knitting with his sheep. Around him stretches a snowy winter landscape at night. In flowing golden script, the card wishes “Merry Christmas.”

We wish you the same - Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a wonderful start to the New Year!

Plauen Lace Earrings

Behind the twentieth door is a pair of earrings made of Plauen lace. The embroidered white polyester earrings are named “Greta.” The motif depicts a stylized flower, which at this time of year can also be interpreted as a snowflake.

Incense Figurine Fewa-Johanna

Behind the twelfth door is an incense figurine from 1997. It depicts Fewa-Johanna, the advertising figure for the Fewa detergent, soaking dirty laundry in a washbasin. When an incense cone is lit inside, the smoke emerges from the laundry like hot steam. Incense figurines are a must-have Christmas decoration, especially in the Ore Mountains region during the Advent season.

Sandman Doll

Behind the third door, you will find a Sandman doll. It was produced around 1975 by VEB Vereinigte Spielwarenwerke Sonni in Sonneberg. The designer of the most popular children’s character of the GDR was Gerhard Behrendt. The final version, featuring the small beard, was created in 1960. The doll wears a blue hat and blue cape, combined with a brown jacket and trousers.

Mini-Puzzle Numerik

Behind the sixteenth door is a small mini puzzle from Numerik. For a price of 4.50 DDR marks, the puzzle contained 35 pieces. The motif depicts the Glösa site of Numerik, measuring approximately 15 x 10.5 cm, showing several building blocks and a hall surrounded by green spaces and trees. In 1989, over 2,800 people worked at Numerik, a center of GDR control technology. Today, the site is home to the A4 Business Park.

Stopwatch

Behind the second door is a pocket stopwatch from around 1965. It was manufactured by VEB Uhrenwerke Ruhla. The small pocket watch has a silver-colored stainless steel case and a glass-covered dial. In addition to the hour and minute hands, there is a separate seconds display. The dial bears the brand name "ruhla" and the inscription "MADE IN GERMANY." The previous owner is said to have used the pocket watch for timing during moped rallies. During the events, it was stored in a sealed metal case to prevent tampering.

Alarm Clock

Behind the nineteenth door is a small travel alarm clock. It has a light blue case. The front bears the inscription “Sumatic” and the dial reads “ruhla.” There is a button on the top and on the side. The button on the right side is used to wind the clock, and the alarm time can be set by turning the plastic cover in front of the dial. The clock was awarded a gold medal at the International Leipzig Fair.

Advent Candles

Behind the eighth door, you will find a box containing four Advent candles. The green packaging shows a burning red candle and indicates that these are dripless candles, made by dipping and drawing at the Kerzenfabrik Salzwedel. Around 1980, the VEB Wittol Wittenberg sold the pack for 75 pfennigs.

Light Angel

Behind the eleventh door is an angel light figure from 1935. It was made by Wendt & Kühn in Grünhainichen for the Wanderer-Werke in Siegmar-Schönau. The light angel was given as a Christmas gift to the employees. The turned wooden figure stands on a star. Its green wings are decorated with twelve silver stars, and it holds a candle holder in each hand.

Decorative Santa Claus

Behind the twenty-second door peeks a decorative Santa Claus. It is a light figure featuring Santa with a small Christmas tree, Olbernhau rider figurine, and angel. On the underside, there is a sticker reading “Wanderer Werke Christmas 1936.” The Santa figure was likely a Christmas gift from the Wanderer Werke, with an estimated edition of around 7,000 pieces.

Special Coin – European Capital of Culture

Behind the first door is the official special coin for the European Capital of Culture 2025. The obverse shows various landmarks and public squares in Chemnitz, including the Chemnitz Museum of Industry. The reverse features the Federal Eagle surrounded by 12 stars. The edge of the coin is engraved with the Capital of Culture slogan, “C the Unseen.” It commemorates a historic year in the city of Chemnitz that is now drawing to a close.

Camera

Behind the seventh door is a camera. It is a Beirette electric SL400, manufactured between 1975 and 1977 at the VEB Kamerafabrik Freital. At the time, it cost 185 DDR marks and was the first semi-automatic SL camera on the market. The numerous settings are arranged around the lens and marked with symbols. The body of the 35mm viewfinder camera is gray and black.

Plaster Molds for Chocolate

Behind the fifteenth door are three plaster molds for chocolate figures. The Kathleen Schokoladenfabrik GmbH in Oderwitz, known in the GDR as VEB Bergland, likely used the foil-coated molds to showcase their products. These included various versions of Santa Claus figures as well as a snowman. The company ceased production in April 2022.

Advertising Stamp

Behind the fifth door is an advertising stamp. It was produced around 1910 by the Richard Selbmann Chocolate Factory in Dresden. The image shows four people on a sled with a steering wheel. In the background, several onlookers stand among the trees. The top left corner reads “Selbmann’s Cacao.”

Carving Fork

Behind the twenty-third door is a carving fork. It is made of silver-plated alpaca metal. The back bears the engraving “Gowe-Silber 90.” The fork has three long tines and a handle decorated with ornaments reminiscent of Art Deco and Art Nouveau. It is part of the Graf Luckner series and was manufactured around 1930 by Christian Gottlieb Wellner AG (GOWE)—the perfect cutlery for the Christmas roast.

Spinning Tops

Behind the ninth door are various spinning tops. They are painted and depict different figures. The game with the whip top is more of a skill game. After pulling the whip string from the wrapped top, the player tries to keep it spinning as long as possible with carefully timed flicks of the whip.

Ice Skates

Behind the thirteenth door is a pair of ice skates from the brand Gloria Blitz. The two blades could be attached under the shoe and originally came with leather straps for fastening. They measure 26 cm in length and are engraved with the brand names “Gloria” and “Blitz.” The label on the green box advertises them as “Elegant, perfectly shaped, and suitable for sports.”