Angels and Miners

The origin of the angel and miner light figures are the same as so many of the Erzgebirge wood art in mining. In the churches of the Erzgebirge, carved miners’ figures were placed as candlesticks in the 17th century, instead of the altar lights.

The longing of the mountain light for warmth and light became an integral part of the Erzgebirge. It is precisely the light that plays a major role in the hard, heavy and dangerous work in mining, because it is the symbol of life and health. Who knows the old Bergmannsgruß: “Good luck! Luck On “not, this went through the centuries. In the night, the Bergmanns’ families were placed in the window in order to shorten the night and to lighten the way for the miners. In the course of the years a second light figure came into the picture – the light-gel. In contrast to Bergmann, this has a religious origin. In former times a miner was placed in the window for Christmas and every Christmas an angel. For example, these figures were a nice picture during leisurely adventures, and other people could see how many boys and girls lived in a house. Usually the angel and the miner are designed as a couple, and this is also due to an old Erzgebirge faith. Characteristic of the miner are a black smock, white trousers as well as a hat. The angel is decorated with a white dress, with decorated wings and a colorful apron.