TOY INDUSTRY IN THE ERZGEBIRGE - TWO COUNTRIES - TWO PATHS

The Regional Museum in Most, in cooperation with the German association Förderverein des Museums Olbernhau e.V., will map the post-war history of toy production on both sides of the Erzgebirge border over the next two years. The Erzgebirge toy is a key theme for both partners. The Most Museum, as the leading partner in this project titled "Toy Industry in the Erzgebirge - Two Countries - Two Paths," has received a grant from the cross-border cooperation program between the Czech Republic and the Free State of Saxony. The total budget for the project amounts to €237,450, of which 85% will be provided by the EU.

The project on Erzgebirge toy-making aims to map and process the post-war history of wooden toy production on the Czech and Saxon sides of the Erzgebirge and present it to both experts and the general public, including school youth. Toy production, as a supplementary industry to mining and subsequently its industrial production, is part of the shared cultural heritage, and its study will support the inscription of the Erzgebirge Mining Landscape on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The history of German toy-making is extensively documented, but only up to 1945. Research on toy production on the Czech side is almost non-existent. No sources have been found regarding the history of the companies VERO and DEHOR. The task of this project is to fill these gaps on both sides of the border.

Currently, thorough research is underway, period items and documentation are being sought, witnesses are being located, and archives are being explored. The main outputs of the project will be a professional publication, a traveling exhibition, and a documentary film, which will also be provided to schools for teaching regional history. The project's website and Facebook pages will contribute to the greater popularization of the topic of Erzgebirge toy-making, where updates will be regularly published.

As stated by the director of the Most Museum, Mgr. Michal Soukup, the project is being implemented at the last minute, as the last witnesses are of advanced age and are quickly passing away. Without their testimonies, we would not gain a comprehensive view of this issue. Therefore, we ask both the general and professional public, especially witnesses, to contact us if they can provide us with items, machines, and equipment related to toy production in the Erzgebirge. We also welcome testimonies in the form of personal memories. Do you have old unused wooden toys in your attic and would like to help the project? Offer them to the Regional Museum in Most.

If you are interested, please contact us at infomuzeum-most.cz.

Link to the project website: https://www.hracky-spielzeug.eu/

Publication - Erzgebirge Toy in the Light of Folk Art (from 2011)

Promotional items for the project