2010 Edition 4
ANGELIC NEWS FROM THE WENDT & KÃœHN WORKSHOPS
Free Customer Magazine
h e a r t wa r m i n g f i g u r e s t o t r e a s u r e
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2010 Edition 4 | Page 3
Dear eleven dot post readers Contents Lustrous new releases A dazzling array of new figures and compositions
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Special Editions in Overview Special editions exquisitely enrich our collection
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A versatile stage Angel musicians now also take the limelight in corners
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95 years of precision German craftsmanship The Wendt & Kühn Workshops over the years
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Face to Face Encounters Beate Zeun on coaxing our figures to life with fine brush strokes
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World Wide Wendt & Kühn Our online portal – vivid, quick and current
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Kaleidoscope Collection changes 2010/2011 Open House Days Diverse news and notes from the world of Wendt & Kühn Imprint
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For the fourth time, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the new edition of the eleven dot post in this foreword – in the future, you will be seeing the names of my two siblings here as I pass them the management reins of our workshops on January 1, 2011. While I will be turning my focus to other endeavors starting next year, Claudia Baer (née Wendt) and Florian Wendt will aptly carry the traditions of our family business on into the future. I would like to take this opportunity to say a few parting words and thank you very much for your loyalty to our company. I hope the warm friendship you’ve shown to our company and our figures will only deepen over time! 2010 was a very special year for our company as the Wendt & Kühn workshops celebrated their 95th anniversary! It was 1915 when Grete Wendt took the daunting step of starting up her own company based on her distinctive designs. In 1923 she came up with the design for the now-familiar green-winged angels with eleven dots which helped to spread the Wendt & Kühn name throughout the world. We are issuing a very special replica this year – only available for a limited period until early 2011 – as our festive Anniversary Angel. With a golden base, this Kneeling Angel with Bell is a worthy well-wisher for our latest milestone. A further highlight this season is our new Gold Edition No 3. This irresistible messenger of love extends a gold-plated heart in greeting. To help you keep an overview of all our Gold and Special editions, we’ve dedicated page 9 to all there is to know about these exquisite Wendt & Kühn editions. How the work performed in our workshops has changed since 1915 – and that which has not – is detailed in our feature article commemorating our company anniversary. We take you through our workshops at different periods of time – shortly after the company’s founding, after the Second World War, post-reunification, and present day. It’s easy to see that even after 95 years, there has never been any change to our high standards of quality and faithfulness to the original designs, nor to the greater portion of the work done manually. But of course time does not stand still, not even in Grünhainichen; modern technology has naturally been incorporated into our workshops, usually coupled with significant improvements in working conditions for our employees. This issue introduces one such employee to you: Beate Zeun has been giving faces to our angels since January 1994. The angels and other figures being added as new items this year are presented in our large overview of new issues. Among the most exciting in this anniversary year are the unique stages now available for showcasing your own celestial orchestra: Our new Angel Mountain corner units open up heavenly new worlds of decorating possibilities. An eventful history invariably sets the stage for an eventful future. At Wendt & Kühn, we’ve always taken this wisdom to heart and have opened our workshops to the entire world with our website and its magically animated images. We also added a number of practical new functions to our website this past summer (pages 24/25). Check back in with us – whether virtually or at one of our Open House Days, we always look forward to your visit!
Page 28 Tobias Wendt
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Lustrous new releases Each year, the Grünhainichen workshops of Wendt & Kühn delight those who passionately collect and love our figures with a number of adorable new creations based on the historic designs of Grete and Olly Wendt.
6307/2 Little suspended angel with violin
650/116
gold edition n o 3 Angel of Love, angel with gold-plated heart 650/116/LE
limited gold edition n o 3 Angel of Love, angel with gold-plated heart and base in a heart-shaped splinter box
As this year is no different, we would like to introduce a number of new figures, their charm and beauty sure to capture the hearts of collectors everywhere. Our Angel of Love, the Wendt & Kühn Gold Edition No 3, even bears its own heart on its sleeve – and a gold-plated heart to boot! What a dazzling way to express one’s love! For very special occasions, our Angel of Love even goes one step further: In a limited special edition of just 9,999 pieces, this angel not only offers up its gold-plated heart, but also proudly stands atop a goldplated base. And to ensure that the impassioned message hits its mark perfectly, we nestle our Angel of Love in a beautiful heart-shaped splinter box for delivery. The bottom of the box as well as the figure and its accompanying booklet are imprinted sequentially – so you’ll always know exactly which of our 9,999 Angels of Love you’ll be calling your very own treasure. But no matter whether this heartwarming messenger comes with a slate-grey base or a gold-plated base, packed in the heartshaped box or wrapped up in a bow, the Angel of Love touches hearts everywhere – not only of lovers, but also collectors worldwide. And while most would also
agree that love is sometimes not without its thorny side, our little angel with flowering cactus proves that, more often than not, true love will always be worth the effort. Impishly seated to hold a pot bursting with a small green cactus, this angel represents a more unconventional way to show one’s love – even if somewhat tongue in cheek. These new cherubs are of course in good company again this year. The angel arrangement with tree tells a charming story of how joyous life is for our angels in their verdant grove. Two green-winged angels proudly come bearing a magnificent pine tree, its crowning gold star heralding the coming season. Meanwhile, the suspended angel with violin provides the musical accompaniment to this grand procession. The new Christmas Tree Angel holding a candle in each hand also shines with the spirit of the season from a golden ring perch. A special lucky charm for collectors and enthusiasts to commemorate the 95th anniversary of our Grünhainichen workshops comes in the figure of the Kneeling Angel with Star and Bell. To mark
650/81a Angel with flowering cactus
651/7k Group of angels with tree
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2010 Edition 4 | Page 5
6308/20 Christmas tree angel in a ring with two candles
650/130/14b Angel with little harp, suspended 650/70/57 Angel with headless tambourine in the moon
650/95 Anniversary angel 2010, with star and bell, kneeling atop a golden base
650/27a Angel with pan flute, sitting
this momentous occasion in our company, this angel is featured – as are all our anniversary angels – atop a golden base. The Angel with Bell will only be available in this exclusive design until Spring 2011. After that, it will be retired from our collection, not to appear for another five years. Although at that time, only with the grey base as now supports the Angel with Candle who originally floated down from the heavens five years ago as the anniversary angel helping to celebrate our 90th anniversary. Now full of pride to be back in
650/90/17 Angel with French horn on clip
650/1c Angel with candle on a grey base
the grand collection of Grünhainichen Angels®, the celestial messenger bears its candle atop a grey base. Our bevy of angels is also supplemented again this year by a number of new musicians bringing with them a glorious variety of new instruments. Leading off is the standing Angel with English horn (pictured on page 6), accompanied by the sitting Angel with pan flute and the clip Angel playing the French horn. Their harmonious serenade is even further enhanced by the ethereal strains coming from the harp of the sus-
pended angel. This is already our third suspended angel to soar over the grand Angel Orchestra since 2008 (the suspended angel with the little horn – the first of its kind – has been a member of our orchestra for more than 70 years). Along with the suspended Angel with violin and the suspended Angel with mandolin, their heavenly compositions ring out against our star-filled skies – much to the delight of the cheerful Christmas Angel in the crescent moon softly keeping the rhythm on the tambourine.
549/B3 Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 3 tiers culminating in a large upper platform
549/B5 Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 5 tiers culminating in a large upper platform
549/B4 Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 4 tiers culminating in a small upper platform
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Meanwhile, things are heating up again over in the angel bakery! As the little Marguerite angels busily mix aromatic batter, roll it out and then add decorative touches, you might have a hard time resisting the urge to heat up your own oven! These industrious angels are likely churning out 634/70/2010 Marguerite angels, 3 figurines, sitting
650/69 Angel with English horn
634/70/17 Marguerite angel with saucepan
Ultra precision in quality control The many minuscule pieces making up the new angel with English horn are meticulously sorted under a magnifying glass.
634/70/16 Marguerite angel with rolling pin and cookie dough 634/70/18 Marguerite angel with icing cone and heart
5322/2 Angel-drawn cart with child
5272/5 Knitting Matron
traditional Christmas cookies, although armed with saucepan, rolling pin and icing cone, they’re ready for anything as they roll out the cookie dough, add sweet flourishes to the gingerbread and make hot cocoa for the children. They go to great lengths to make sure that not only are the cocoa and cookies the besttasting ever, but that there’s also never been a sweeter sight to behold. In wanting you to be able to display your own decorations throughout the holiday season and beyond in the most eye-catching style possible for your home, our workshops have created an ingenious new article: our practical and beautiful Angel Mountain
corner units now give collectors a wealth of new decorating possibilities (pictured on page 5). Whether three, four or five tiers, each version offers ample space for our devoted Angel Musicians and their exuberant siblings. We’ve illustrated a number of examples of the spectacular figure arrangements you can now create with these corner units on pages 10-12. Apart from all our joyful angels, we are also introducing two new figures this holiday season, their charm and grace destined to captivate enthusiasts around the world: A young boy and girl pair in their starched white christening gowns solemnly holding large wooden candles. There’s a very touching story behind this pair of twins that we’d love to share on the occasion of their reissue: After the birth of twins Hans and Sigrid Wendt on October 9, 1930,
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their mother Olly Wendt designed the twin siblings to commemorate their baptism in March of 1931. The figures were produced in various colors and designs – including the one you see pictured here now for reissue – as presents for the godparents and guests in attendance so that each could take home an utterly personal remembrance of this major event. Another figure group we are reissuing this year also has close ties to the birth of the Wendt twins: Grete Wendt, their aunt, designed an angel-drawn cart to mark the twins’ arrival. We decided to reissue this classic design this year with one very precious baby angel passenger. Both versions – the angel-drawn cart with one newborn and the one with twins – were included in the workshop catalog from 1937. There can certainly be no doubt that as they grew up over the ensuing years, the twins provided a lot of inspiration for many of our “Children of Grünhainichen” designs which, along with the angels, are of course among our most popular figures. With their nostalgic charm, they rouse memories of carefree childhood days and summer meadows in full bloom, resonating with the singing of birds and the laughter of children.
5322/1 Twin pair in christening gowns
2010 Edition 4 | Page 7
539/20 Windmill
539/25 Dutch boy with hands in pockets
539/27 Dutch girl with jug and flower
539/2010 Dutch children with windmill, 3 figurines
For decades, Grete Wendt’s delightful designs have not only adorned many of our music boxes but they’ve also come into their very own as our beloved Blossom Kinder. This year we’ve also given them a delightful new function: we’ve added a small slot on the green hill on which they romp with their flowers. This discreet slot, sized to hold cards, opens up a world of possibilities to your own creativity. You can inscribe a name on the gold-bordered card we include to create a unique and unforgettable placecard for a special table.
Whether birthdays, anniversaries or company celebrations – these friendly Grünhainichen tots assist each guest in finding their proper seat. Particularly generous hosts have been known to let their guests take their figure home as a gift at the end of the day’s celebration. These practical figures are also perfect for any other kind of gift idea you might have. That’s why along with the card, we also include an envelope large enough to hold marvelous surprises – from gift certificates to personally-chosen poems, from cash or checks to
Twins Hans (left) and Sigrid Wendt in 1932 – the pair were a continual source of inspiration for the original designs of our childlike figures.
Detail from the 1933 Wendt & Kühn catalog with another pair of twins initially designed by Olly Wendt.
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5214/2010 Placecard holder, 6 figurines
5214/1 … Girl with marguerite 5214/4 … Boy with snowflake
5214/3 … Girl with bluebell
5214/11 … Girl with four-leaf clover
5214/12 … Girl with forget-me-not 5214/8 … Girl with poppy
any other special treat you know would be most appreciated by your loved one. Collectors will also be thrilled to see that we’re continuing our Dutch series, first started in 2009 with the little Dutch couple: The two little figures in clogs are now joined by a charming little Dutch girl carrying a jug and a hand-picked flower, escorted by her fetching companion. Also new this year is what certainly must be the most important element needed to create the ultimate Dutch scene: the windmill!
Now you can cheerfully create the ambience of Holland in a picturesque scene to make all our Dutch children who came before feel right at home. That sense of well-bring is also evident in our new Knitting Matron. She is the third and for now last member of our Knitting Circle, joining the jovial Rococo and Biedermeier. She also accommodates a full ball of yarn under her puffed skirt, allowing one end to be pulled out from the handbag on her arm – without any tangles, don’t you
know! This practical function makes the Knitting ladies not only extremely useful but also adds a very elegant touch to your own homespun afternoons spent in the company of good friends. Please note: While our products are available for purchase at your local specialist retailer or at the Wendt & Kühn outlets in Grünhainichen and the health resort town of Seiffen, we cannot accept individual mail orders.
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2010 Edition 4 | Page 9
Special Editions in Overview
650/95 Anniversary angel 2010, with star and bell, kneeling atop a golden base
650/1 Anniversary angel 2005, with candle and golden base
Special Editions
2010 – Spring 2011 Wendt & Kühn 95th Anniversary
only available for a limited period
2008 – 2009 Grünhainichen Angels® 85th Anniversary
limited version with additional gold-plated base (limited run of 9,999). Other select company anniversaries have also been commemorated with special editions, each only available for a limited time: 2005 · Wendt & Kühn 90th Anniversary 2008 · Grünhainichen Angels® 85thAnniversary 2010 · Wendt & Kühn 95th Anniversary
Gold Editions
2005 – 2006 Wendt & Kühn 90th Anniversary
In 2007, the Gold Edition series experienced its first issue with the three irresistible Cupids. Musikus followed in 2009 with his gold-plated clef – also as a limited Gold Edition atop a gold-plated base (limited run of 5,555). With a gold-plated heart, our Angel of Love continued the series in 2010 as our Gold Edition No 3, also available in a
partly limited in number
On Wendt & Kühn’s 90th anniversary in 2005, a very special well-wisher – the candle-bearing Anniversary Angel atop a golden base – stepped forward to offer personal congratulations. Ever since then, important occasions have been marked by the welcomed issuance of additional special editions.
650/85 Birthday angel
gold edition no 1
gold edition no 2
gold edition no 3
from 2007
from 2009
from Autumn 2010
650/112
650/116
gold edition n o3 Small number still available in select specialty shops
Angel of Love with gold-plated heart
650/115/LE
limited gold edition n o 2 Musikus with gold-plated clef and base
650/110
Limited Edition run of 5,555
650/111 650/110 -112
gold edition n o 1 Cupids, with gold-plated bow
650/115
gold edition n o 2 Musikus with gold-plated clef
650/116/LE
limited gold edition n o 3 Angel of Love with gold-plated heart and base in a heart-shaped splinter box Limited Edition run of 9,999
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A versatile stage Corner niche: The holiday season gets underway with particularly merry news for many of our collectors as they learn that Wendt & Kühn’s popular Angel Mountains now also come in corner models! A dream come true for so many of our Angel Orchestra collectors because they can now display all their celestial musicians in one impressive scene. We’ve heard from a lot of our collectors that their angels simply don’t have enough elbow room any more to gather on their mountain and play their ethereal music, and many also say they unfortunately don’t have the space
Since it was first created, the Wendt & Kühn Angel Mountain always made an exquisite setting for Christmas cards, as this historical example shows.
Music in the (quarter) round New versions of our popular Angel Mountain in three different quarter-circle sizes were added to our collection in Autumn 2010 and are already proving just as practical as they are decorative. These corner units open up a world of decorating possibilities for beautifully exhibiting a large Angel Orchestra – whether
for a second mountain. The new corner units now offer a solution which is just as clever as it is attractive, creating extra space as if by magic thanks to their quarter-circle design. Able to adorn the corner of any cabinet, they make a perfect decorative combination with any Angel Mountain you might already own. Or featured as its very own centerpiece atop a sitting area table, on a shelf, or in a corner cupboard – the space now provided for all of your little green-winged musicians is out
of this world! Arranged individually or in combination – the sky’s the limit. The accompanying photographs show some examples of decorating possibilities in the hopes they will inspire you to create your own personal arrangement. Calling all angels to set the perfect mood Our corner units come in three, four or five tier versions. The three-tier and fivetier models feature an extra-large platform on top to accommodate larger figures
or groups of figures – for example the Madonna (one of the most beautiful classics ever created by Wendt & Kühn) which, atop an Angel Mountain, won the Gold Medal for overall composition at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. The Angel at the Organ or even the Angel at Grand Piano would also make a glorious vision crowning the musical Angel Mountain. While the four-tier has a somewhat smaller top platform, there is still plenty of room for numerous figures which might not fit
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2010 Edition 4 | Page 11
for small figures
549/B3 Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 3 tiers culminating in a large upper platform
549/B4 Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 4 tiers culminating in a small upper platform
549/B5 Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 5 tiers culminating in a large upper platform
as an expansion in combination with an existing Angel Mountain or all on their own as eye-catching room or bookcase centerpieces. In addition to the smallest version pictured here (the 3-tiered Angel Mountain with large upper platform; Art. No. 549/B3), we also craft a 4-tier and 5-tier model (Art. No. 549/B4 and 549/B5).
on the lower narrower tiers. Decoration ideas for the top platform of the four-tier corner unit include Musician Angels on larger pedestals, those playing larger instruments like the barrel organ, the two kettledrums, the full set of drums or the zither. By the way, if you have already collected so many figures that there are still a few which won’t fit on your Angel Mountain, try arranging them around the base of the mountain. Having little angels with bells, lanterns or candles gathered around the heavenly orchestra as attentive spectators makes for an unusually charming arrangement! Divinely populated Tiered Angel Mountain corner units prominently showcased in a display cabinet – the three-tiered version on the left (Art. No. 549/B3), the four-tiered version on the right (Art. No. 549/B4).
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Art. No.
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Article
Dimensions
Availability
Angel Mountains corner units without candle holders 549/B3
Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 3 tiers culminating in a large upper platform
Radius 28.5 cm Height 5.5 cm
NEW in assortment from autumn 2010
549/B4
Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 4 tiers culminating in a small upper platform
Radius 28.5 cm Height 7.5 cm
NEW in assortment from autumn 2010
549/B5
Tiered Angel Mountain Corner Unit, 5 tiers culminating in a large upper platform
Radius 38 cm Height 9.5 cm
NEW in assortment from autumn 2010
Angel Mountains, semicircle without candle holders
(Width x Depth x Height)
550/B
3-tiered Angel Mountain
30 x 15 x 5.5 cm
550/B3OHN 3-tiered Angel Mountain
50 x 26 x 5.5 cm
in assortment
550/B4OHN 4-tiered Angel Mountain
60 x 30 x 7.5 cm
in assortment
550/B6OHN 6-tiered Angel Mountain
77 x 38 x 11.5 cm
in assortment
Coming full circle In addition to the new corner units, Wendt & Kühn of course continues to offer our traditional semi-circular Angel Mountains. Whether three, four or six tiers, these are magnificent stages for our miniature musicians. All members of your own personal orchestra will never play as beautifully as atop an Angel Mountain, even long after Christmas has passed!
in assortment
Questions & Answers Can I put two half-mountains together to make one big round mountain? In principle, yes. But because our mountains, like our figures, are individually crafted, there may be cases where Angel Mountains produced at different times may exhibit minor color or dimensional variances. Therefore, two half-mountains might sometimes not match up perfectly to form one large one. Where does the Angel Mountain tradition actually come from?
Christmas Mountains have a centuries-old tradition in Germany’s Erzgebirge region, the birthplace of Wendt & Kühn angels. Erzgebirge residents took great pride in creating expressive scenes of wooden figures in their living rooms, in cabinets and on window sills at Christmastime. These scenes not only told the Biblical stories of Christmas, but also portrayed everyday details from the lives of the miners and woodworkers. The Angel Mountains from Wendt & Kühn are a beautiful continuation of this time-honored Erzgebirge tradition.
Decorative touches are now possible even in the smallest of corners. For example, you can now decoratively transform unused corner niches between seating arrangements (as pictured with the 5-tier Angel Mountain, Art. No. 549/B5) or the open corner of any shelf (as pictured with the 4-tier Angel Mountain, Art. No. 549/B4)
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H
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oliday finery and forest-green trimmings
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Wendt & Kühn after 95 years – a legacy The Wendt & Kühn workshops are celebrating their 95th anniversary in 2010. To mark this occasion, we rummaged through some of our production archives so we could show you how our work here has changed through various different time windows since the workshops first opened – in addition to that which will never change.
The Turning Shop
Our Turning Shop in the 1920s
From drive train to electronic circuitry Peering into the Wendt & Kühn Turning Shop reveals three generations of technology still banded together in close quarters to this very day: hand-cranked lathes, semi-automated forming lathes and fully automatic machines. It all started in 1917 with the hand-cranked lathes. All the turning lathes were driven by one huge motor transmitting its power via massive drive belts. Even with our great love of manual crafting, Wendt & Kühn has always embraced modern technology, a reflection of the philosophy championed by Grete’s father, Albert Wendt. He sought sources of energy which would facilitate the work performed here so as to not only improve productivity but also workplace conditions in general. Thus, today we have ultra-modern extraction systems for chips and shavings to meet strict industrial safety requirements. In former times, the shavings were swept up at the end of the day into a large basket and carried off to a shavings bin. But for all the modern technology introduced into the workshops over these past 95 years, the most important tool still remains the technical skill of the wood turner. Whether it’s hollowing out the skirt for one of our Knitting Ladies or turning the millimeter-precise ringlets for our precious little angels – it’s alone the honed craftsmanship of our wood turners that makes Wendt & Kühn figures so unmistakable. Today, just as it was 95 years ago.
Our Turning Shop in the 1960s
Our Turning Shop in the 1990s
Present-day: Our Turning Shop 2010
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of precision German craftsmanship The Gluing Department Of pendant lights and bone glue Glancing at these pictures, it might seem that the only thing that ever changed in the Gluing Department over all these years was the aprons of our employees! Now, as then, these industrious women are fully focused on the well-sorted hordes of countless small parts their agile fingers will join together into enchanting figures. Even the figures themselves look just the same through the decades! But upon a closer look, one actually starts to notice a number of changes, primarily ones serving to improve working conditions by leaps and bounds. For example, while a simple pendant lamp casts its filtered light onto long workbenches back in the 1920s, today a modern lighting system provides ideal illumination. The height of both the tables and chairs can now be adjusted, a welcome relief for backs after a long day’s work. While the women sat at just arm’s length from her neighbor in former times, today the workspace is more spread out, lighter and more airy. And speaking of air: it, too, is much better today. The memory of the pervasive smell of the pearl glue – commonly called “bone glue” – stubbornly lingering over the workbenches is still quite strong. The little pearls of glue would have to be liquefied in hot water, thereby giving off that singular smell against which even the strongest cologne stood absolutely no chance. In welcome contrast, the cold glue used today actually smells pleasant! And where do all these tiny pieces that such nimble fingers glue into figures come from? There’s a storeroom set up next door to the gluing department filled with thousands of unprocessed pieces in modern stackable bins. In former times, the unprocessed piece storage was in the attic – with no elevator and each carton containing only a few hundred pieces. Back then, part of the job description for these hard-working women also included trekking up and down the stairs. Yet amidst all these changes, there is of course one thing that has remained just the same since the earliest days: When bodies, arms, legs, heads and curls come together to form an angel, the rhythm, flow and skill of these hands are exactly the same as in 1923.
Our Gluing Department in 2010
Our Gluing Department in the 1920s
Our Gluing Department in the 1960s
Our Gluing Department in the 1990s
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The Painting Department
Christmas in the Painting Department, late 1920s
Our Painting Department in the 1950s
Our Painting Department in the 1990s
Of frocks and hairstyles A peek through the window of time shows that not only did the hairstyles of our painters change over the years, but also the hair color of our angels! Grete Wendt had once originally specified that an Angel Orchestra should be composed of 70% blonde and 30% dark-haired angels. But as the years went on, more and more customers were requesting angels with dark hair – today, the ratio is more like 50/50. The celestial musicians enter the Painting Department fully clothed and coiffed. The frocks the painters tailor to each angel and Blossom Kind with their perky brush strokes look exactly the same today as sketched by Grete and Olly Wendt all those years ago. Also the work steps involved in getting these little ambassadors ready to greet the world are the same. What started with five painters has grown into one of our workshops’ most important departments over the last nine and a half decades. Today, a total of 69 women lend the wooden figures their charm and color day in and day out, relying on the traditional standards handed down by Grete and Olly Wendt – not only in terms of the figures’ designs, but also the exact composition of the paints and varnishes. In the past, each painter would mix her own colors with Grete and Olly Wendt always keeping a sharp eye on the paint pots to ensure all the hues were just right. Today we have a Master Painter in charge of this important task as many of our paints are still manually mixed in our workshops. Although we do get some special paints, for example the green of the wings or the skin color, supplied ready-made from a paint manufacturer. It takes two to three years for one of our painters to perfect her craft. Good work naturally calls for good wages – what could earlier be described as “pocket money” is now quite a well-paid position. The working conditions have also changed dramatically over the last 95 years, not the least being modern ventilation systems to ensure healthy air throughout the room.
Our Painting Department in 2010
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2010 Edition 4 | Page 17
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ovingly crafted figures with a long family tradition
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The Sales Department
Warehouse inventory control in the 1920s
In the dispatch warehouse, 1930s
Hand packing for shipping, 1950s
From Grünhainichen into the Great Big World The miniature Wendt & Kühn angels have always enjoyed taking wing throughout the world, even in the early years, and right from the beginning, the world embraced them with open arms – just like it did their creator, Grete Wendt. Thus, it didn’t take long at all after starting up the new company for her to have business connections in a number of countries, some of them very exotic indeed – apart from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Holland, Wendt & Kühn was delivering to dealers in South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt, Brazil, Haiti, India, Mexico, Morocco and Turkey. There were even contacts being made in such distant lands as Mongolia, Kenya, Argentina, the Congo, Ceylon, Cyprus, Cuba, Lebanon, Peru and Uruguay. Max Kellner, one of the workshops’ first employees, wrote in his commemorative publication celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary that “planned expansion and strengthening of export relations” was highly valued in the 1920s. Doing so allowed the manufacturer to secure stable currencies during Germany’s Inflation Period in exchange for delivering to customers in Holland and Sweden. Which in turn allowed urgently needed building and expansion projects despite difficult economic times. By the end of the 1920s, exports accounted for 75% of the young company’s total sales – a considerable achievement! Nevertheless, exports eventually did slump during the Inflation, and were then further worsened by the Second World War and its consequences. In the time of the former East Germany, most of what was produced went to West Germany and Western foreign countries. Figures from the Grünhainichen workshops were especially beloved – and still are – in Scandinavia. In fact, in the 1960s, a number of special items were actually designed exclusively for Swedish customers. In Sweden, the observance of St. Lucia’s Day is the focal point of the entire pre-Christmas season, and to honor this festival of lights, Wendt & Kühn designed figures in white Lucia dresses as well as a music box adorned with Lucia children. There was even another music box specially-designed for Sweden featuring Angel Musicians not with the universally familiar green wings but instead with red wings and gold dots (these products are not currently being offered by our workshops). A huge blow to the workshops’ global connections came with the nationalization of the company in 1972. While the company was allowed a certain independence, all exports went through the state export management cooperative. Believe it or not, 97% of our entire output was exported for “hard currency” at the time – no wonder the figures were in such scarce and coveted supply, not only just in the Erzgebirge region! Crucial to the company’s future development, however, was that despite the state control, our valuable foreign customers remained loyal. The forced nationalization of partially state-owned and private companies was also coupled with a certain anonymity on the markets. To counter that, foresighted professionals were quick to form trademark
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Homeland roots en route Even in our earliest days, our tiny Wendt & Kühn figures circled the globe, as we symbolically evinced with this decorative workshop model ship from 1987.
associations. Wendt & Kühn belonged to East Germany’s trademark association for arts and crafts (Warenzeichenverband für Kunsthandwerk und Kunstgewerbe e.V.), identified by the expertic registered trademark on each product. Wendt & Kühn products were labeled with this trademark until 1989. With denationalization of the company, all marketing and export activities were then returned to our own hands as of July 1, 1990. After nearly two decades of privation, Wendt & Kühn figures could once again finally be sent directly to customers in all corners of the world. After 1990, numerous contacts with valued foreign customers – some going back many, many decades – were restored and resumed. Today, the angels from the Wendt and Kühn workshops are once again alighting in numerous countries all over the Earth: in the USA, Canada, Singapore, Spain,
Motivated, energetic staff – our dispatch warehouse in 2010
Postal archive Wendt & Kühn also has an extensive archive of correspondence from around the world such as these selected business letters from the 1930s.
Russia and Australia as well as Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Liechtenstein, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and China – even as far away as Caracas in Venezuela and throughout Japan, the land of the rising sun.
Today’s figures start their great journeys with Deutsche Post DHL
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Trade Show Appearances
1917: The
first trade show exhibit in Leipzig
Leipzig Trade Fair at Petershof department store in the 1930s
Modern Leipzig Trade Fair look from the 1960s
Of Exhibitions and Presentations Trade shows have always served as a vital window to the world for Wendt & Kühn. The Leipzig Trade Fair – one of the world’s oldest trade fairs practically right on our doorstep – was always among the most important marketplaces right from the very beginning. In the spring of 1916, shortly after our little company was founded, Grete Wendt exhibited her products for the first time at the Leipzig Trade Fair. Never before had such handcrafted decorative items like Layout for one of the these been displayed at a show – it was company’s first trade fair invitations (circa 1920) a genuine novelty, garnering great interest and attention in numerous periodicals. Looking back on her experience at the exciting fair in Leipzig, Grete wrote some poignant lines: “...Even though our young company was greeted with friendly interest, we enter this big market with some anxiety and concern. Will our products really be accepted? The idea behind our work and endeavors is being able to produce our items not as so-called ‘individually crafted items’ but rather to factory-produce them and thus be able to market them inexpensively. We hoped to become familiar with the needs and thoughts of the public at the trade show and learn whether Wendt & Kühn’s Leipzig trade fair invitation from 1925 we were on the right path. Actually, we hadn’t really yet thought in terms of orders. Our fairground was the third floor of the ‘Städtisches Kaufhaus’ (downtown department store)... Right on the first day, much to our delight, we saw lively interest in our products. One buyer after the next. And the day after that, we were deluged. We were immediately consumed with providing information, taking orders, holding meetings, etc. Diving right into all this business was far more pleasant that we ever imagined... Our items drew the buyers’ attention because they were new to them. One interesting side note is that we were often asked: ‘Do these products come from Munich or are they made in Berlin?’ It was of course always very gratifying to be able to say that we produced our articles in the Erzgebirge region and that our main items were even specialties unique to the Erzgebirge wood industry...” This delight in the figures from Wendt & Kühn expressed by buyers and customers has meanwhile continued unabated for 95 years. And to this day, the Leipzig Trade Fair continues to
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be an important marketplace for our company, although we have since expanded to other leading trade fairs as those held in Frankfurt and Nuremberg. Grünhainichen
Grete (front) and Olly Wendt in our booth at the 1958 Frankfurt Trade Fair.
figures are even exhibited in America year after year, notably at the “AmericasMart” in Atlanta, where strong contacts to customers in the USA are forged and fostered. Foreign trade fairs also played an important role in former times for international sales – from presentations in Monza,
Excerpt from the letter of appreciation from the Economic Council of the former Karl-Marx-Stadt district (present-day Chemnitz) on Wendt & Kühn’s 100th exhibition at the 1966 Leipzig Spring Fair. The letter reads: Dear Miss Wendt! Dear Mr. Wendt! On behalf of the Karl-Marx-Stadt Economic Council on the occasion of your 100th exhibition at the 1966 Leipzig Spring Fair, it is my honor to convey the warmest congratulations from the Industrial Department and to thank you for your important work as a major exporter. The Wendt & Kühn company, having documented great success in increasing exports in the past, has excelled in the export sector. These results can mainly be attributed to the fact that together with your workers, you have made tremendous efforts to further increase the quality of your products and thus considerably strengthen the reputation of our republic abroad.
Utrecht and Agram (now Zagreb) to the unforgettable 1937 World’s Fair in Paris, where our large Angel Mountain with
Madonna was honored with a gold medal and a Grand Prix.
Accentuated Our new post-privatization beginning is also reflected in our new trade show display. Confident and unstinting, a fancy assortment is displayed in a setting staged to make maximum impression. Just as our presentations of previous years were always modern for their time, our present-day booth – shown here at Leipzig’s Cadeaux Trade Fair 1996 – incorporates the latest trends in design.
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Face to Face Encounters Just like the angels she paints, we’ve only ever known Beate Zeun to be friendly and cheerful. For more than 30 years, Beate’s practiced brush strokes have ensured that the angels from Wendt & Kühn will grace the world with such unmistakable faces. In our interview with Beate, she tells us that working here was always her dream job – and how an old motorcycle along with a good measure of luck and persistence helped her make her dream come true. How did you become a part of the Wendt & Kühn family? I can still remember it like it was yesterday. My aunt had a small group of Wendt & Kühn Musician Angels – I always thought they were so pretty. And since I loved to paint as a kid, I got it in my head that one day I would be painting these figures myself. But when the time came to apply
for apprenticeship training positions, I realized that Wendt & Kühn – still called VEB Werk-Kunst back then – had only announced one single opening. My father immediately rode me over to Grünhainichen on his old motorcycle – an MZ 150 ES. That was the first time I ever met Hans Wendt and he immediately earned my respect. He only spoke with me briefly, but then he also gave me a verbal promise – talk about overjoyed! On that day, I also saw the Grand Sample Cabinet for the first time. Back then in 1979, you didn’t have the opportunity to see the whole variety of figures in a special shop, let alone a retail outlet. I was spellbound. I did my training through the vocational school in Seiffen. My boss had arranged private accommodations for me on the Schwartenberg (one of the area’s highest mountains). I lived with an older couple, the Schlieders. The amount of snow at that altitude was often a hardship for us. Sometimes it was almost
up to our thighs, and it wasn’t always possible for me to get to classes on time. Even so, I did end up successfully completing my apprenticeship program. What changes have you seen at Wendt & Kühn since 1979? The company was still in its original buildings when I started learning here. The departments were smaller than today, cramped but cozy. I gave birth to my two children in 1983 and 1986 and then I worked at home for two years. I came back into the shop in 1989 and then, well, the Wall came down. The business got larger and larger, and our workstations also kept being relocated throughout the whole building. For example, at one point, we were working in the old residential quarters of the half-timbered house, where the executive office is today. But the biggest move was when our painting department was uprooted to the old rail freight terminal in Grünhainichen because of all the construction on the workshops. It took a few years until I got back to my old workstation. Today, we sit in beautiful, bright work spaces, worlds beyond the old standards of the 70s. What is your favorite job at Wendt & Kühn? Painting the faces, of course – although I do also occasionally enjoy painting a figure from start to finish. To me, it’s a very special challenge and pleasure to be able to give these little angels their faces.
Finest final touches Painting the faces is the very last step in the process of creating our figures. Beate Zeun exerts considerable influence over the unmistakable charm and grace of each figure.
What are the most important things about painting the faces? Most important of all is the brush. Our brushes are made of red sable hair with a very fine tip. We often go through one in just a few weeks. The face is applied at the height of the curls and obviously needs to line up evenly. Thirty years ago, the color for the eyes and mouth were still mixed from brown and dark blue oil paints. But for some years now, we’ve been using a standard brown paint. We mix it on a tile with turpentine and desiccant (so it will
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A
n innate sense of artistic flair gives these exquisite figures their charm.
Practiced brush strokes Beate Zeun learned face painting under Olly Wendt herself and has continued to refine her talents and eye for proportion during the many subsequent years she’s been a valued part of our workshops.
dry fast) and then apply it immediately. The cheek color is mixed right in the workshop from our own denatured copal oils. Can you recognize the faces you paint? Yes, every single one. You get to know the tiny distinctions of each face painter – we all have our own unique signatures and we all try to give our figures a particularly endearing face. Do you have any special memories of Grete and Olly Wendt? Unfortunately, I never did meet Grete
Wendt, but I can still remember Olly Wendt very clearly. She was actually the one who personally taught me face painting – and passed on her love of the work to me. Olly Wendt was a very kind and sweet woman. I used to love listening to her talk about the old times. I even still remember a special birthday celebration she had. Because she was no longer able to make her way into the workshops by that time, we all visited her in her small cozy apartment. Here was this little white-haired old lady surrounded by a sea of flowers. And we all toasted her birthday with a cheery round of egg liqueur.
Do you also collect Wendt & Kühn figures? Of course! I have a whole display case full of Wendt & Kühn figures. Even after being surrounded by angels the whole day long, I just can’t get enough of them at home. What started me collecting was a small pair of intricately painted angels that I received from Wendt & Kühn to commemorate my first Christmas with the company. They came in the mail because I was still living in Seiffen that first year of my apprenticeship. That was simply the greatest surprise and thrill ever!
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World Wide Wendt & Kühn Online interactive experience – www.wendt-kuehn.com gives visitors a fascinatingly informative journey through the wide world of the Grünhainichen artisans. A Musician Angel floating down from above and playing a soft melody on her horn. Adorable Blossom Kinder frolicking amidst fields of wildflowers. Enchanting glimpses of the “green grove” which gave its name to the homeland of the angels (in German, Hain = grove). These impressions and much more await you on the Wendt & Kühn website, recently updated with new functions and useful extras. What remains unchanged is the magical scenic backdrops which Wendt & Kühn first debuted online in 2005. Some have even gone so far as to comment: “I have never seen any other website as delightful
as this. It’s a pure joy to look at,” as Ms. Jacobsen from Wattenbek wrote us. But what is it that makes the Wendt & Kühn website so very special? We would venture to say that above all, it’s the endearing animations which give life to the figures from our Grünhainichen workshops. Fanciful image compositions create captivating settings in which visitors seem to lose themselves only too gladly. By popular request, we recently added a number of new animated scenes to draw our viewers even further into the wonder and experience which is the wide world of Wendt & Kühn. But fear not, the previously-animated scenes will continue to be online due to their great popularity, even should some of the items found within the scenes have already been retired from our active collection. The website also remains peppered with
absorbing information and background lore from the workshops: A virtual tour walks visitors through the sales gallery in Seiffen and another offers fascinating glimpses behind the scenes as one follows the creation of selected figures through each of their individual production steps. It never ceases to amaze visitors how the numerous tiny pieces making up the Blossom Kinder come together as if by magic when they click on the “How the Blossom Kinder Come to Life” menu item under the “Showroom” heading. Website visitors can also find a great deal of information about what is new and exciting at the workshops. Also under the “Showroom” heading, “Open House Days” provides a wealth of ready information for visitors wanting to plan a trip to our headquarters in Grünhainichen or our wonderful World of Figures gallery in Seiffen.
Interactive visit to our workshops Charming animations lead visitors through the Wendt & Kühn website and vividly present a great deal of information on our company and its history, our collection and new releases, upcoming events and so much more.
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and real-world design masterpieces for Dresden’s majestic Semper Opera House, the world-famous interior design and production firm Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau and Munich’s grand Prinzregententheater (theatre and opera house), to name just a few of the studio’s venerable clients. The schech.net creative team has won numerous awards and prizes for outstanding design including the prestigious German PR Award and a Gold Medal at the famed New York Festivals. How fortunate we are to have schech.net bring our figures to life with their creativity! Warmth that touches the heart Comments we’ve received from visitors to our website: Always special One very special feature of the Wendt & Kühn website is the opportunity to select from among many different images to send electronically to your loved ones as a unique “Thinking of You” greeting card.
The practical search function under the “Dealer” heading lets you find all the specialist dealers of Wendt & Kühn figures located near you with one click of your mouse. The extensive display of our collection presented under the “Products” heading has also been recently expanded to give you a better idea of the variety of Grünhainichen figure compositions. One new addition is the “Ultimately” section under the “Products” heading, displaying all the items that will be retired from the collection after the current year. This gives you the chance to place a lastminute order of your favorites with your specialist dealer before they are retired from our collection for at least five years. Also in response to numerous requests, we have expanded our offer of eCards (free electronic greeting cards). Have you taken advantage of these adorable electronic postcards yet? The 82-year-old Ms. Rose from Düsseldorf loves sending online greetings: “With just one of your gorgeous electronic greeting cards, I made my sister’s entire day in Canada,” she writes us. Sending one of our eCards could not be any easier: Simply click on the “E-Cards” heading from the top (dark green) menu bar, select your favorite design from those which display automatically, and then
add your own personal greeting. We’ve created scenes for virtually all occasions – Christmas & New Year, General Greetings and Congratulations – and we even have a number of animated cards in which our figures move as if truly alive. After you enter your recipient’s name and email address, we’ll send your electronic postcard on its way – to put a sure smile of joy on your loved one’s face. Fast, fun and free – why not try it today? Presenting: The creativity behind the concept
“Your website truly delights me! Such beauty and such love in each figure! We’ve cherished our Angel Orchestra since 1952 and will always enjoy adding new members.” A. Rose, Düsseldorf (82 years old!), Germany “Just wanted to let you know that every time I visit your website it always makes my heart happy.“ J. Aldrich, Pleasant Hill, CA, USA “Your company’s website is absolutely the best. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Plus since I happened to be in Seiffen last year at Christmastime and was able to visit your gallery there, seeing it all again online brings back such nice memories.” J. Kunz, Ellefeld, Germany “I simply adore your angels and I think your homepage is fantastic.” V. Andersen, Aalborg, Denmark
Another family business Jacqueline and Dominik Schech of the schech.net design agency in Dresden.
What might the people who could dream up something so intricate and wonderful look like? The creative mind behind the Wendt & Kühn website is Dominik Schech and his Dresden-based graphic design studio schech.net which has created online
“I just stumbled upon your website: What a delight! And a wholly childlike delight because your figures and all the scenes and animations just touch the heart.” U. Hecker, Göttingen, Germany
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Kaleidoscope While numerous new figures enhance the Wendt & Kühn collection each year, 2010 will also see some figures in their final issue before being retired for some time and thus unavailable in the Wendt & Kühn collection for at least five years. The full listing below reveals all the items which will not be available from Wendt & Kühn after 2010 for at least five years: 5356/0 Little hare 5356/2 Hare in nest 5234/1-3 Angel with gifts, 3 figurines 5234/1 Angel with gifts and bird 5234/2 Angel with tree 5234/3 Angel with book 5301/7 Santa Claus with tree and angel 535 Brocade angels, 3 figurines 535/1 Brocade angel with flute 535/2 Brocade angel with sheet of music 535/3 Brocade angel, praying 5271/13 Saving oven, Boy with concertina 5271/14 Saving oven, Girl with cat
Among the figures set for their swan song in 2010 are the three Angels with gifts (Art. No. 5234/1-3) and Santa Claus with tree and angel (Art. No. 5301/7).
A steady hand is the order of the day to lend these tiny figures their unmistakable visage with one fine brush stroke after the other. A practiced eye and a high degree of concentration are also essential to produce these gems while remaining true to their original designs. All which you can experience for yourself during the Wendt & Kühn Open House Days.
Experience the art of handcrafting Lovingly crafted figures and music boxes have been created with great passion for beauty in the Erzgebirge workshops of Wendt & Kühn in Grünhainichen since 1915. Not much about this intimate and meticulous manual work has changed in the past 95 years, as you’ll be able to personally see for yourself at the Wendt & Kühn Open House Days. Peek over the shoulders of our craftspeople as they attentively turn, shape and glue pieces of wood, or dip-coat and paint them, or even browse our showroom shop for the perfect gift for loved ones or yourself. Children are especially invited to experience the fun variety of creative projects we set up on our Tinker’s Row. While the whole family is welcome to stop by our picturesque Photo Corner and record your visit as a take-home remembrance to last forever. Cherubic little Wendt & Kühn Angels as well as Blossom Kinder spreading rays of sunshine and color in the spring have also been known to make sensational appearances at the Wendt & Kühn Open House Days …
Open House Days 2010/2011 Wendt & Kühn in Grünhainichen, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day: 2010 Oct. 29 - Nov. 1 (Reformation Day) 2010 Nov. 27 - 28 (First Advent) 2011 June 2 - 4 (Ascension Day) 2011 Oct. 28 - 31 (Reformation Day) Wendt & Kühn World of Figures Gallery in Seiffen, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day: 2010 Oct. 16 - 17 (Day of Trad. Crafts) 2011 April 23 - 24 (Easter) 2011 Oct. 15 - 16 (Day of Trad. Crafts)
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TV Tips “Die weltberühmten Engel aus Grünhainichen” (“The World-Famous Angels of Grünhainichen”) MDR (repeat), scheduled for Nov. 21, 11:40 p.m.
Voices and Thoughts “I have been an avid collector for over 30 years and have been lucky enough to travel to both Grünhainichen and Seiffen. I cannot tell you how much joy your little creations have brought me, whether it be Christmas, Easter, or every day, Wendt & Kühn figures/angels are a daily part of my life.“ M. Boos, Edmonds, WA, USA “Our family has collected Wendt & Kühn figures for three generations. Your figures are superbly made with an ethereal charm. It’s a real pleasure to see new figures brought back to life every year with the same classic design and charm.” J. Ross, Saint Louis, MO, USA
“Von Tannenbäumen, Weihnachtsgänsen und Musikantenengeln – 365 Tage Arbeit fürs Weihnachtsgeschäft” (“Of Christmas Trees, Christmas Geese and Musician Angels – 365 Days of Work for Christmas Sales”) RBB (repeat), scheduled for Dec. 18, 6:00 p.m. and Dec. 20, 10:15 a.m.
I recently enjoyed an extended tour through much of Germany with my New Zealand football team. A German football club we became friends with gave us two football figures from Wendt & Kühn as a gift of camaraderie – along with the English version of the eleven dot post. This magazine always keeps me informed about all the novelties coming out of
Wendt & Kühn, because ever since that trip, I have become an ardent collector of these unique figures. G. Johnston, Christchurch, New Zealand “We went to our second Wendt & Kühn Open House in October 2009. It was just like our first time, a great day filled with wonderful experiences. Our son Jonathan (9 years) especially loves your workshops.” M. von Alberti, Dresden, Germany
Personal time with Santa Two-time veteran of our Open House Days, Jonathan from Dresden can’t wait to return again!
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eleven dot post | 2010 Edition 4
Subscribe to the eleven dot post If you would like to have the eleven dot post mailed to you on a regular basis, we would welcome your subscription to our customer magazine. Simply fill out our postcard (below), add the proper postage, and drop it back in the mail to us. You can also sign up for the eleven dot post online by visiting www.wendt-kuehn.de. You will then be assured of receiving all
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our free magazines, starting with the very next issue. The eleven dot post is published twice a year in German and once a year in English. Spread some joy among your friends and relatives by letting them know, too! And to keep up with the very latest news from Wendt & Kühn, you are also invited to sign up for our electronic newsletter at www.wendt-kuehn.de. Heavenly selection In our Grünhainichen retail shop, cherished dreams of angels – and much more – become reality.
Imprint Publisher: Wendt & Kühn KG Chemnitzer Straße 40, 09579 Grünhainichen, Germany Telephone: +49 37 294 / 86 286, Fax: +49 37 294 / 86129 E-Mail: info@wendt-kuehn.de www.wendt-kuehn.de Editor: Design: Content: Translation: Photography:
Printing: Our locations This map shows you the location of our Grünhainichen headquarters (Manufacture and Sales) and the Wendt & Kühn World of Figures gallery in the quaint toymaking village of Seiffen (Sales; see photo above).
Tobias Wendt brennerdesign, Zschopau Dr. Sylva-Michèle Sternkopf, Flöha Sternkopf Communications, Flöha S+M Rümmler, Flöha; Wendt & Kühn KG photo archives, private Wendt family archives E. Gutermuth printers, Grünhainichen
Grünhainichen, October 2010 Cut along dotted line
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h e a r t wa r m i n g f i g u r e s t o t r e a s u r e