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Pflaumentoffel (etymologically probably going back to Toffel meaning "stupid, clumsy person") is an edible figure made from dried or baked plums and produced by bakeries, pastry shops and gingerbread makers for children for Christmas,

The sweet became known through its sale at the Dresden Striezelmarkt.

History

Pflaumentoffel are based on boys, usually coming from orphanages, who could be employed by the approval of the Essenkehrermeister (chimney sweep) with the electoral-Saxon approval of 1653. The children's task was to crawl through and clean the high and narrow ditches of municipal civic buildings. This is an early example of state-tolerated child labor.

Pflaumentoffel are documented as "little man from prunes" for Christmas 1801. In the 19th century, it was children, the "Striezelkinder", who, equipped with a tray, sold homemade Pflaumentoffel at Christmas markets in Saxony and the Ore Mountains. In 1910, selling by children was prohibited.

The Pflaumentoffel as a symbol of good luck corresponds to a reinterpretation of the topic of child labor, which is a terrible issue from today's perspective, through popular humor and various Christmas traditions. It is reminiscent of chimney sweeps as symbols of good luck and of the parallel in tradition that in some parts of Europe, St. Nicholas also comes down the chimney or fireplace or that stockings are hung on the fireplace to be filled with sweets.

References

1. tuffel, tüffel. In: Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): Deutsches Wörterbuch. Band 22: Treib–Tz – (XI, 1. Abteilung, Teil 2). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1952, Sp. 1547 (woerterbuchnetz.de).
2. Pflaumentoffel. In: Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): Deutsches Wörterbuch. Band 13: N, O, P, Q – (VII). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1889, Sp. 1731–1732 (woerterbuchnetz.de).
3. "Der Dresdner Pflaumentoffel auf dem Striezelmarkt". Dresden Online (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
4. ^ Eisenbeiß, Ralf (14 November 2024). "Pflaumentoffel". Regionale Originale (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
5. "Dresdner Pflaumentoffel". regionales.sachsen.de (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
6. ^ Kolbe, Hans-Jürgen (29 October 2020). "Eine Geschichte aus dem 17. Jahrhundert". Berlin.de (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
7. "Striezelmarkt Geschichte". besuchen-sie-dresden.de (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
8. "Warum wird Nikolaus gefeiert? Ursprung und Tradition des Nikolaus-Tages". Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (in German). 6 December 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2024.

Further reading

• Köpke, Hannelore (2019). Die Geschichte vom Pflaumentoffel (in German). Dresden: Dresdner Verlag. ISBN 978-3-933109-54-5.
• Hanusch, Roland (2011). Sächsische Pflaumentoffel (in German). Husum, Nordsee: Husum Dr.- und Verl.-Ges. ISBN 978-3-89876-582-4.
• Hiss, Corinna (7 November 2013). "Quetschemännchen aus Langstadt sind kleine Glücksbringer aus Pflaumen". op-online.de (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.