Nußknacker are a decorative form of nut crackers. Although they are usually able to crack nuts using their mouths, they are normally used as Christmas ornaments. They have the form of a person, such as a soldier in uniform.
Originating from the area around the Ore mountains they can have around 60 moving parts!
The figures inspired the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.
To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:
(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)
