Prune people (in Franconian dialect: "Zwetschgenmännla") for sale on the famous Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg, Franconia (Bavaria)
Some background information:
Nuremberg’s prune people are sold en masse on the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg. That’s why every visitor spots them immediately. The little prune boys and girls are usually made from dried prunes, dried figs, walnuts, cloth and a few parts carved from wood. All these elements are hold together by a pliable wire inside. Prune people are known since the 18th century.
Legend has it that they were created by an old man who lived in one of the fortified towers of Nuremberg’s city walls. After a rather cool summer, the old man, who was a wiredrawer, became very ill and already waited for his decease. However one evening, he heard the neighbour’s children, who were standing outside the tower and singing a choral for him. It was his favourite choral and when he heard it, his spirits were revived. He began to pray and after some weeks he fully recovered.
As he believed that it were the children who had gifted him his recocvery, he took some prunes which he had picked from one of the plum trees below his tower, and made some little figures of prunes and wire. And at Christmas he gave these figures to the neighbour’s children as thank-you gifts. The joy of the children was so great that they broadcasted the story all over the city.
Hence, the prune people of the old wiredrawer became so popular that he even decided to set up a stall in the market square, where he sold his prune people very successfully. Since then, the sale of prune people on the Christkindlesmarkt has become a tradition and Christmas market in Nuremberg wouldn’t be imaginable without these little figures that are still largely made from prunes.
Well, since two years the prune people are lost without trace as the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt doesn’t take place due to the pandemia. Hence, all we can hope for is their reappearance in December 2022.
Some more information about the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt:
The Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg is a world-famous Christmas market, which takes place on the Main Market Square, the central square in Nuremberg’s old town, and on the adjoining squares and streets. It always starts on Friday before the first Sunday of Advent and usually ends on 24th December.
Despite intense investigations carried out by several historians and people interested in local history, the origins of the Christkindlesmarkt are unknown. The oldest piece of evidence relating to it is a box made of coniferous wood. The following inscription can be found on its bottom: "Regina Susanna Harßdörfferin from the virgin Susanna Eleonora Erbsin sent to the Kindles-Marck in 1628." Nowadays this box is in the possession of the Germanic National Museum in Nuremberg.
However historians have reasons to believe that the Christkindlesmarkt has its origins in traditional sales at the weekly market between 1610 and 1639 and by this time gradually evolved into an independent market. Originally, the market opened on Thomas’ Day, 4th December, but due to the large number of visitors, opening day was rescheduled to the Friday before the start of Advent in 1973 and has remained so ever since. The years between 1939 and 1948 were the only years in the Christmas market’s history, in which it didn’t take place. No need to say, that this multi-annual closure was caused by the Second Word War and the tremendous destructions in Nuremberg’s old town induced by allied bombing raids.
Every year the Christkindlesmarkt is opened with a prologue by the Christkind, which she recites from the gallery of the Church of our Lady. In several European countries the Christkind is a Christmas angel and traditional female gift-bringer. The Nuremberg Christkind is elected every second year from sensible girls aged between 16 and 19. Initially a large number of competitors enter via the Internet these days. But in the end it’s still a jury, which chooses the next Christkind out of six finalists.
There are about 200 wooden stalls on the Christkindlesmarkt. Among other things visitors of the can buy the small, but very tasty traditional Nuremberg roast sausages, spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, bakery goods and sweets, mulled wine, flaming fire tongs punch, typical Christmas articles such as Christmas tree angels, cribs, Christmas tree ornaments and candles, toys as well as arts and crafts products. Favourite souvenirs include "Nuremberg Plum People", which are little figures made from prunes and walnuts.
On the Hans Sachs Square near the Hauptmarkt there’s another market, which is mainly aimed at children, the so-called Children’s Christmas. It includes some very beautiful traditional carnival rides and a tent, where children can meet Santa Claus.
And on the Guildhall Square just north of the Main Market Square the Christmas Market of Nuremberg's sister cities adds some international flair. With a wide range of indigenous arts and crafts, stalls from Nuremberg's twin cities resp. sister cities, such as Prague (Czech Republic), Glasgow (Scotland), Venice (Italy), Nice (France), Krakow (Poland), Antalya (Turkey), Kharkiv (Ukraine), Atlanta (USA), Skopje (Macedonia) and Shenzhen (China) take visitors on a journey around the world.
So if you want to take a trip to Nuremberg during Advent season, I can highly recommend it. But don’t forget to book your hotel early enough, as the city is always crowded with tourists from all quarters at that time.
A Merry Christmas 2021 and a Happy New Year 2022 to all of you! Have a great festive season together with your families and friends! Stay sane, healthy and fairly protected by vaccination.