Strictly speaking, a nutcracker is nothing more than a useful tool for cracking nuts. Today this kitchen gadget is normally made of steel and constructed like pliers. There are also wooden nutcrackers resembling a kind of giant screw which is inserted into a stable ring. You put the walnut in the centre and screw the bolt down. All that sounds rather functional than artistic. However one can find real pieces of artwork among nutcrackers.
Especially in the eastern part of Germany, the manufacturing of nutcrackers holds a long tradition dating back to the 15th century. Once the figures were carved by hand within the winter months, when farmers and lumbermen had time enough for that kind of labour-intensive work. Around the middle of the 19th century a complete cottage industry had been established. Especially the densely wooded regions of the Ore Mountains and Thuringia became famous for the production of handmade nutcrackers and other wooden toys. Till the recent past, the town of Sonneberg remains a centre of doll making in Germany.
A traditional nutcracker possesses the stature of a forest official, constable, soldier, knight or king. In former times people often were afraid of persons who command respect. No wonder that those representatives of authority had been pictured with severe features that might even look a bit ferocious. Although decorative aspects are predominating, these nutcrackers are fully functional. The mechanism is simply based on the leverage effect. Especially children have fun with placing a walnut in the figure’s mouth and let it be cracked between the big teeth. Unfortunately the market is swamped by cheap imitations from the Far East. But you can easily distinguish the originals. Every hand-carved nutcracker is unique and carefully decorated with parts of cloth, fur or leather.
In Germany, nut and nutcracker are inseparably connected to Christmas. Biscuits, gingerbread and other Christmas cookies can’t get along without nuts. But traditional nutcrackers had been designed for the cracking of walnuts shells. Most of them have their problems with hazelnuts, Brazil nuts or almonds. Moreover, people who want to crack a lot of nuts within a short time will also prefer a powerful metal tool for the task. Nevertheless, a wooden nutcracker belongs to the most popular souvenirs people are looking for when passing their holidays in Germany. Of course you can find nutcrackers on every Christmas market, sometimes even as giant figures that are dominating the whole place.