Käthe Wohlfahrt
Encyclopedia
Käthe Wohlfahrt is a German company that sells Christmas
decorations and articles. Its head office is in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
in Bavaria. According to the Bavarian tourist site, www.bavaria.by, "the unique Christmas store with more than 30,000 traditional German Christmas decorations ... has attracted millions of tourists from all over the world."
Founded in 1964 in Herrenberg
near Stuttgart
by the husband and wife couple, Wilhelm and Käthe Wohlfahrt, it was taken over by their son, Harald. The firm moved from Herrenberg
to the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1977.
In their main shop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber there is a Christmas Museum and a Christmas exhibition. Amongst its extensive range of products are candle
s, Christmas tree
decorations, nativity scene
s and nutcracker
s. The shop is open all year long and claims to have the world's largest selection of traditional German Christmas ornaments.
The firm has a chain of shops in Nuremberg
, Bamberg
, Oberammergau
, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, Heidelberg
and Rüdesheim am Rhein. In addition there are branches in Riquewihr
in France, in Bruges
in Belgium and also in Stillwater, Minnesota (USA). It also runs stalls at Christmas market
s.
The company is very well known outside the German-speaking region. Even its parent company in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a tourist destination for many tourists from Japan
and the USA
and a visit to Käthe Wohlfahrt is often included as part of their Germany or European tours.
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
decorations and articles. Its head office is in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
in Bavaria. According to the Bavarian tourist site, www.bavaria.by, "the unique Christmas store with more than 30,000 traditional German Christmas decorations ... has attracted millions of tourists from all over the world."
Founded in 1964 in Herrenberg
Herrenberg
Herrenberg is a town in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, about 30 kmsouth of Stuttgart and 20 km from Tübingen. After Sindelfingen, Böblingen, and Leonberg, it is the fourth largest town in the district of Böblingen...
near Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
by the husband and wife couple, Wilhelm and Käthe Wohlfahrt, it was taken over by their son, Harald. The firm moved from Herrenberg
Herrenberg
Herrenberg is a town in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, about 30 kmsouth of Stuttgart and 20 km from Tübingen. After Sindelfingen, Böblingen, and Leonberg, it is the fourth largest town in the district of Böblingen...
to the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1977.
In their main shop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber there is a Christmas Museum and a Christmas exhibition. Amongst its extensive range of products are candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s, Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
decorations, nativity scene
Nativity scene
A nativity scene, manger scene, krippe, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke...
s and nutcracker
Nutcracker
A nutcracker is a mechanical device for cracking nuts. Usually they work on the principle of moments as described in Archimedes' analysis of the lever...
s. The shop is open all year long and claims to have the world's largest selection of traditional German Christmas ornaments.
The firm has a chain of shops in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, Oberammergau
Oberammergau
Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The town is famous for its production of a Passion Play, its woodcarvers, and the NATO School.-Passion Play:...
, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and Rüdesheim am Rhein. In addition there are branches in Riquewihr
Riquewihr
Riquewihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village...
in France, in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in Belgium and also in Stillwater, Minnesota (USA). It also runs stalls at Christmas market
Christmas Market
A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt, is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent...
s.
The company is very well known outside the German-speaking region. Even its parent company in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a tourist destination for many tourists from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a visit to Käthe Wohlfahrt is often included as part of their Germany or European tours.
External links
- Wohlfahrt home page
- Magazine article about the marketing strategy of Käthe Wohlfahrt in the retail magazine, ProFirma.