The German smoker has a long and interesting history that tells of the ingenuity and hardworking spirit that makes the German people so interesting and traditional in their ways of life. From the earliest beginnings of Christianity to the heartache of war to the long held traditions that make the German people some of the greatest craftsmen in the world, the German smoker is a very special gift that has filled the homes and hearts of many families with joy for generations.
The use of incense has been prized by people throughout the world for thousands of years. Incense was often considered a treasured gift by the peoples of the Middle-East, India, Africa, and Europe. For centuries, incense was used for religious ceremonies and other important events as a way to cleanse the air of evil spirits. It was used in trade and was considered a highly treasured commodity. Perhaps the most important gift of incense was given to the baby Jesus in honor of his birth by the Three Wise Men. After a long journey to find the baby Jesus, the Three Wise Men gave their most precious gifts to him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts are still celebrated today in Germany during the Festivity of The Three Wise Men. In Germany, Christmas lasts for twelve days, from December 25th through January 6th. Each of The Twelve Days of Christmas has special meaning, with the final day celebrating the gifts of the Three Wise Men. On this day, many people celebrate by lighting incense and placing them in their German smokers to mark the end of the Christmas season.
While incense has been used for centuries, the German smoker has only been in existence for a few hundred years. The earliest German smokers, or Rauchermen, first came into existence in the late 1600s in the Miriquidi Forest area of southeastern Germany. Local artisans designed these tiny figurines by carving and turning them out of a single piece of wood that was prevalent in the mountainous region. While German smokers are the main source of income for this area of Germany today, this was not always the case. Since the 1100s, the Miriquidi Forest, or the Erzgebirge Mountain area as it's called today, as been a rich and prosperous mining area. The first mines were found to be rich in silver and the area boomed as people moved to the remote area to work the mines. This silver rush lasted for nearly 250 years and brought the area much needed wealth. Around the mid-1400s, the silver mines began to run out and tin mining replaced silver mining. The mountain region again expanded and its population soared. Unfortunately, during the 1600s, the Swedish began invading the area and started a 30 years war that virtually decimated the region, killing or driving out many of the people of the once prosperous mining villages.