Germany’s Real-Life Santa’s Workshop
What’s Christmas without a nutcracker? That dapper wooden soldier has become one of the holiday season’s most beloved Christmas decorations, but behind the glitter and cheer lies a story carved by hand.
In the German town of Seiffen, nestled in the Ore Mountains, generations of artisans have turned simple wood into timeless nutcracker figurines. In a family-run workshop, known for crafting some of the world’s most famous nutcracker soldiers, every piece is still made the old-fashioned way, carved, painted, and dressed in miniature finery.
From humble origins to global fame, discover how this small German town became the beating heart of nutcracker history, and why these wooden icons remain a cherished part of Christmas traditions everywhere.
00:00 - Who Are Santa’s Little Helpers?
00:11 - Meet the Real Christmas Elves
00:26 - The “New North Pole” Is in Germany
00:48 - Popular German Christmas Traditions
01:12 - Seiffen: Epicentre of Seasonal Joy
01:46 - Nutcracker Production
01:46 - Inside This Legendary Nutcracker Factory
02:07 - Meet the Ulbricht Family
02:55 - A Brief History of Nutcrackers
03:14 - How Nutcrackers Went Global
04:09 - Merry Christmas
#greatbigstory #germany #nutcrackers #christmas #santaclaus #christmaselves
This Great Big Story was made possible by @germanytourism
Welcome to Great Big Story - Where the extraordinary hides in plain sight. From forgotten histories and unsung heroes to mind-blowing innovations and mesmerising cultures, We’re a global storytelling collective obsessed with the extraordinary tucked inside the everyday. Our producers are filmmakers, adventurers, and curious souls who believe a great story can change how you see the world. We publish new videos every week. Please join us in exploring a world of fascinating perspectives around history, culture, technology, food, real life stories, and beyond.
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In the German town of Seiffen, nestled in the Ore Mountains, generations of artisans have turned simple wood into timeless nutcracker figurines. In a family-run workshop, known for crafting some of the world’s most famous nutcracker soldiers, every piece is still made the old-fashioned way, carved, painted, and dressed in miniature finery.
From humble origins to global fame, discover how this small German town became the beating heart of nutcracker history, and why these wooden icons remain a cherished part of Christmas traditions everywhere.
00:00 - Who Are Santa’s Little Helpers?
00:11 - Meet the Real Christmas Elves
00:26 - The “New North Pole” Is in Germany
00:48 - Popular German Christmas Traditions
01:12 - Seiffen: Epicentre of Seasonal Joy
01:46 - Nutcracker Production
01:46 - Inside This Legendary Nutcracker Factory
02:07 - Meet the Ulbricht Family
02:55 - A Brief History of Nutcrackers
03:14 - How Nutcrackers Went Global
04:09 - Merry Christmas
#greatbigstory #germany #nutcrackers #christmas #santaclaus #christmaselves
This Great Big Story was made possible by @germanytourism
Welcome to Great Big Story - Where the extraordinary hides in plain sight. From forgotten histories and unsung heroes to mind-blowing innovations and mesmerising cultures, We’re a global storytelling collective obsessed with the extraordinary tucked inside the everyday. Our producers are filmmakers, adventurers, and curious souls who believe a great story can change how you see the world. We publish new videos every week. Please join us in exploring a world of fascinating perspectives around history, culture, technology, food, real life stories, and beyond.
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com ?
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store ?
? https://shop.greatbigstory.com/
SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the ? to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/
Great Big Story
Great Big Story is a global media company devoted to cinematic storytelling. Headquartered in New York, with a bureau in London, our studios create and distribute micro docs and short films, as well as series for digital, social, TV and theatrical release...