The best souvenirs tell a tale, and if you peel back the layers of East Germany’s contemporary craft scene you’ll get a glimpse into its past – and come home with a story to share...
The East German city of Leipzig established a printing industry in 1650, and by the mid-19th century it had garnered a reputation worldwide. Learn more on a guided tour of Leipzig Museum of Printing Arts, which is housed in a former print works. druckkunst-museum.de
Screen printing (Museum fÅr Druckkunst Leipzig)
Take a screen-printing class at Thaler Originalgrafik, a gallery in Hall 14 of Spinnerei, a former cotton mill in Leipzig that’s now home to a hip creative community. thaler-originalgrafik.de
The town of Rudolstadt has long been known for its porcelain, as the surrounding region of Thuringia is naturally rich in its key ingredients – kaolin, quarzsand and feldspat. Volkstedter Porzellanmanufaktur was founded in the town in 1762, and has since joined forces with four other companies to form Die Porzellanmanufakturen.
Porcelain (Sarah Riches)
Tour Rudolstadt’s factory to learn how porcelain sculptures are made. You can create your own masterpiece and browse the shop, and buy contemporary pieces from Claudia Biehne in Spinnerei in Leipzig. Tour £8.50; tour and workshop £12.80.
As the birthplace of the composer Wagner and the resting place of Bach, Leipzig has a strong connection with the music world. Today, visitors to the ‘city of music’ can explore the Museum of Musical Instruments and play brass instruments in Vogt Instruments.
Brass instruments (Sarah Riches)
Matthias Vogt opened Vogt Instruments in 2007. Tour the shop to watch how brass instruments are made and repaired and have a go at making parts for a trumpet. Free.
While the first mention of playing cards was in 1377 in Florence, Italy, the earliest known card is said to come from Germany’s Altenburg, and was dated 1509. Playing cards were originally a luxury, and the city’s middle classes are credited with inventing the game of Skat around 1810. The game soon spread across the country, and is still played today.
Playing cards (Sarah Riches)
Altenburg Castle has been home to a playing card museum since 1923. Take a tour to see rare, miniature and triangular cards. You can also print your own set. Tour £6.80; tour and workshop £9.40.
The town of Arnstadt, near Erfurt, has been associated with crystal since 1947, when the master engraver Heinrich Arlt founded Arnstadt Kristall to keep alive the traditions of his homeland – what is now the Czech Republic. The company has since produced tableware for Germany’s Federal Chancellor, the Sultans of Oman and Brunei and the Cocktail World Champion Mario Hofferer.
Crystal being made (Sarah Riches)
Tour Arnstadt Kristall to learn how crystal is cut by diamond then polished, engraved and painted. You can attempt to engrave a flower on a glass – which is harder than it looks – then browse items in the shop. Free.
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