In the 12th and 13th century, people started to settle down in the highlands of "erzgebirge" which were covered by thick forests. People atracted to this place because of its rich mineral resources, which included tin and above all, silver. After mineral resourses ran dry, many artisans directed their attention to a new raw material: Wood. The inhabitants of the mineral mountains started made toys and christmas decorations out of the wood. Due to their great skill at this, their craft made the region famous far beyond the german border. Nutcrackers play an important role, as they are both small work of art and representative of the mountain culture. At christmas time, you will find at least one nutcracker ore one incense smoker in ervery home of the erzgebrige, making them as ubiquitous as the tree itself.