Erzgebirgische Volkskunst Münzberg

Günter Münzberg opened his shop in 1990, a year after his first shopping trip to Seiffen, and today runs it with his wife Iwona. On approximately 30 square meters in Spandau's Wilhelmstadt, there are about 4,200 pieces from over 120 manufacturers. Christmas decorations from the Ore Mountains are available here in a density that belies the shop's size.

Erzgebirge Folk Art Münzberg in Spandau’s Wilhelmstadt

Erzgebirge Folk Art Münzberg is located at Adamstraße 49 in Wilhelmstadt, a residential area in the south of Spandau. The nearest bus stops are Metzer Straße and Melanchthonplatz, both served by several lines. There is no casual foot traffic like on Kurfürstendamm in this area. Those who come here do so intentionally, and often from far away. Reservations are also made for customers who can only visit weeks later.

It all began in 1989, when Günter Münzberg traveled to Seiffen in the Ore Mountains for the first time to purchase goods. A year later, he opened his shop, which he now runs together with his wife Iwona. The business has thus existed for more than 35 years. On approximately 30 square meters, about 4,200 items from more than 120 manufacturers are now stacked, including Wendt & Kühn, Füchtner, Flath, Erzi, Blank, and the Herrnhut Stars. His own small workshop in Seiffen is also part of it, from where the miniature rooms come.

Smokers, Pyramids, and an In-house Repair Service

Behind the glass display cases, a whole Ore Mountain universe lines up: incense smokers, nutcrackers, pyramids, candle arches, angels and miners, musician angels, music boxes, choristers, flower children, ring-turned figures, tree ornaments, and even miniatures in a matchbox. The ring-turned figures are a specialty, as they are handmade worldwide by only a handful of people. There is no online shop; orders and reservations are made by phone or WhatsApp.

What distinguishes the shop from a regular specialist store is the workshop behind it. Münzberg recreates wooden trees, repaints figures, replaces lamps, and restores pyramids. According to him, he performs 95 percent of all repairs himself; the open orders hang behind the sales counter. In addition, he deals with used pieces and, before one Advent, had over 20 historical pyramids from the 1940s and 1950s in stock. A used angel staircase by Paul Ullrich was recently on the shelf for 159 Euros. From two defective pyramids, he builds a complete one, which is why restored pieces are significantly cheaper than new ones.