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Germany has been famous for its arts and crafts the world over for centuries.The history of arts and crafts in Germany is a glorious chapter of the larger history of European High Culture. German artists have enjoyed the praise of the world in different centuries. During the Renissance period, there were several important German artists including Durer and Grunewald. Friedrich is a key figure in the period of High German Romanticism. Later, in the history world art, Surrealism became a very important movement amd the German artist Ernst was a leading exponent of the Surrealist movement in art. German handicrafts are famous all over the world and are in great demand for their painstakingly crafted intricate decorations and colorful styles. In ancient times German crafts used to be organised in guilds and the process of becoming a craftsman involved being a Lehrling (apprentice) for some time with the Meister (master) and traveling on Walz from town to town getting employed temporarily with different Meister. The remnants of these practices still survive in some parts of Germany and the German are proud of their arts and crafts tradition. The Christmas markets of Germany are especially noted for the wide range of traditional German handicrafts.You can get everything from traditional German angels and nutcrackers to smokers here. These items make great gifts too. Best of all, Christmas markets in Germany are open all round the year, so you can shop any time of the year! Handcrafted clocks, beer steins, figurines, music boxes and woodcarvings are famous German handicrafts known the world over. Kathe Wohlfahrt’s in the medieval city of Rothenburg is one of the most famous Grman Christmas markets. The Crystal Road and The Porcelain Road are other important crafts centers in Germany selling a wide variety of crafts including the handmade figurines called Hummel figurines. Devised as paintings of children by a German nun, you can now buy these Hummel figurines at the Goebel factory. Zwiesel is a great place for delicate glass sculptures. Soligen knives crafted by Germans are famous too and are considered the best cutlery in the world.
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