The Birthplace Of The Bauble: Small German Mountain Village Responsible For Creating Traditional Christmas Decoration

The birthplace of the bauble: Small German mountain village responsible for creating traditional Christmas decoration
Lauscha, in the German state of Thuringen, began making Christmas baubles in the 17th CenturyDecoration became fashionable after a picture of Queen Victoria's Christmas tree, covered in glass ornaments from Germany, was printed in 1846East Germany's communist government turned most of Lauscha's glassworks into state-owned concerns after World War II
20 small glass-blowing firms now active in Lauscha after fall of Berlin Wall
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Published: 02:14 BST, 4 December 2012 | Updated: 11:31 BST, 4 December 2012






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For many, one of the most enjoyable parts of Christmas is gathering around a fir tree with family to spend a few hours decorating it with baubles, beads and treats.

But in one small town in Germany, this tradition means a little bit more, as it is where the first ever Christmas baubles were made.

While the glass balls bought today may have been manufactured in China, Mexico, or the USA, the originals were invented in Germany and a small mountain village of Lauscha is considered to be the birthplace of the handmade, glass-blown Christmas bauble.
The spirit of Christmas: A shop in Lauscha, in the German state of Thuringen, displays the locally produced Christmas baubles

Birthplace of the bauble: The family of Weschenfelder work on Christmas balls in their combined living room and work space in the small village of Lauscha


Still going strong: There are now 20 small glass-blowing companies in the mountain village of Lauscha in German Thuringia

In the late 16th century, Lauscha, in the German state of Thuringen, became known for its excellence in glass-blowing.




Lauscha, located in a river valley, had several elements needed for glass-making: timber, for firing the glass ovens, and sand.
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In 1597, Christoph Muller and Hans Greiner set up Lauscha's first glassworks and very soon, Glashutten (glassworks) were established in the town.


Lauscha's Glashutten eventually produced drinking glasses, flasks, glass bowls, glass beads (Glasperlen), and in 1835, local glass blower Ludwig Muller- Uri invented the artificial human eye from glass.

The original decorations: The earliest hand blown Christmas tree ornaments from glass were attached to each other to form a chain
The factories in the town became state-owned while under the East German communist government



Christmas antiques: Glass-blown balls for the Christmas tree dating back from the 1860s

In 1847 Hans Greiner began producing glass ornaments in the shape of fruits and nuts.

The inside of the ornament was made to look silvery, at first with mercury or lead, then later using a special compound of silver nitrate and sugar water.


Soon these unique glass Christmas ornaments were being exported to other parts of Europe.

By the 1870s, Lauscha was exporting its unique glass ornaments to Britain.


Glass ornaments had become popular in 1846 when an illustration of Queen Victoria's Christmas tree was printed in a London paper. The royal tree was decorated with glass ornaments from Prince Albert's native land of Germany.
Realistic: The glass masters of Lauscha could already make high quality, life like artificial human eyes in the 19th century
A beautiful display of  Christmas ornaments in a Lauscha shop, left, and Christmas ornaments hand blown to a mold from early 20th century in the glass museum of Lauscha, right

These old baubles that capture the spirit of Christmas can still be seen in a Lauscha museum

In the 1880s the American dime-store magnate F.

W. Woolworth discovered Lauscha's Glaskugeln during a visit to Germany. He made a fortune by importing the German glass ornaments to the U.S.


Unfortunately, the end of World War II meant that East Germany's communist government turned most of Lauscha's glassworks into state-owned concerns and ArtemiaGlasGarten it wasn't until the Berlin Wall came down, that most of the firms were re-established as private companies.


Today there are still about 20 small glass-blowing firms active in Lauscha and to celebrate this festive heritage, a famous Christmas Ball-market takes place every year which attracts thousands of visitors to this snow topped picturesque location.
Modern day production: A glass artist forms an item with a torch in Lauscha


Tourist attraction: Thousands of visitors descend on Lauscha at Christmas to see glass artists such as Enrico Schiffel, pictured left, at work at the Farbglashtte


Ornaments: Old traditional glass baubles made in Lauscha can still be seen in the town



Hard at work: Artists Enrico Schiffel, Ricardo Scholtz and Hugo Ellmer work on glass ornaments at the Farbglashtte - a factory that can trace its history back to the late 1500s