Christmas Traditions: The Schwibbogen or Lichterbogen

Although the first ones were made of metal, today most German Christmas candle arches are made of wood. Originally, as the name implies, the Christmas candle arches were fancy candleholders or candelabra (candle trees). Similar to other German substitutes for a candle-lit Christmas tree, such as the wooden Christmas pyramid, the Schwibbogen, also called a Lichterbogen (“light arch”), was intended as another way to light up a home with the warm glow of candles in the cold of winter.

Three Schwibbogen glow warmly in the windows of a house in Rittersgrün, Saxony in Germany’s Ore Mountains region. In the old days, placing the lighted arches in windows was a symbolic way to help guide miners back home in the darkness of winter. PHOTO: Devilsanddust (Wikimedia Commons)

Although real candles are still popular, modern German candle arches today are often illuminated by LED lights (usually also warm-colored). Multi-candle or multi-light candle arches are somewhat reminiscent of the traditional Jewish Hanukkah menorah with its eight oil lamps (the original was also of metal, but gold), that is also usually a candelabrum today. In fact, the lighting of candles at Christmas originated with the Jewish “Feast of Lights” or Hanukkah. The menorah is in fact a special kind of candelabrum. Christians consider candles a symbol of Christ’s light, but candle burning is common to many religions, regions, and countries. (The Yule candle in Scandinavia, etc.)

Rather than the Advent wreath, the Swedes have the Advent candelabrum. The German Advent wreath custom later spread to Sweden and Scandinavia, where it was adapted into the Advent candelabrum (iron or wood) in the 1890s – at first with four candles for the four Advent weeks, but nowadays often with seven electric candles. Today’s modern Swedish electric Adventljusstake (lit., “Advent candlestick”) is an inverted V-shape candelabra with seven candle-like light bulbs. At Christmastime in Sweden, in the evening you’ll see these lights glowing in the windows of almost every home. These often resemble the German Schwibbogen light arches, even though they are not directly related.

A large Weihnachtspyramide with two Schwibbogen standing on each side. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

History of the Schwiboggen

You can order a German candle arch or Schwibbogen like this one with gnome houses from Amazon. See the links below.

The German Candle Arch
The origin of the candle arch is related to the mining traditions of the Ore Mountain region. It may have first developed as a painted metal candle holder for the miners’ Christmas work shift (Mettenschicht), the last shift of the year. The smith responsible for the making mining tools throughout the year crafted the candleholder, decorating it with symbols commonly associated with the lives of the miners. The arch symbolizes the mine tunnel entrance. The candles represent the torches used to illuminate the mine interior. Rather than metal, most candle arches today are made of wood. It is a folk art custom that originated in Seiffen, a town known for its woodcraft tradition. Around 1935 woodworkers in Seiffen had the inspiration to form candle arches out of plywood using a jigsaw and other tools.

The earliest known German Christmas Schwiboggen candle arch can be traced back to 1740 and a man named Johannes Teller in the town of Johanngeorgenstadt in Saxony’s Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) region. Today the former silver, iron, and tin-mining town lies near the German-Czech border. (In 1789 the element uranium was first identified using an ore sample of pitchblende [uraninite] from Johanngeorgenstadt.) Following the Second World War into the 1950s, the East German town suffered from exploitive mining that led to environmental damage that almost destroyed the Old Town. But today the community markets itself as “Stadt des Schwibbogens” (“Schwibbogen city”).

These East German stamps, issued in 1986, depict the traditional metal Schwibbogen from Johanngeorgenstadt. IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons

Various towns in the region are also identified with differing designs for candle arches. One of the most famous designs was the wooden Schwibbogen created by Paula Jordan using a jigsaw in 1937 for a show in Schwarzenberg. Her version depicted the three main sources of income of the people in the region in the 18th and 19th century. As time passed, especially since the 1990s, many design variations have broken away from the traditional round arch shape. The town of Oberwiesenthal is known for the so-called Lichterspitze (“light point/peak”), a triangle-shaped wooden candle “arch” with a large candle light at the top, and five lights on each side for a total of eleven lights. (Candle arches usually have an odd number of lights, ranging from 3 to eleven.) A cutout forest scene, nativity scene, a Nikolaus figure, or the Frauenkirche in Dresden fills the triangle.

Other newer versions include the trapezoid-shaped candle holder from Stollberg and the Gothic arch-style that imitates a stained-glass Gothic window, with winter and Christmas scenes. The size can vary from miniature (matchbox size) to large outdoor giant Schwibbogen such as the wooden one featured at Dresden’s annual Striezelmarkt Christmas market, and the metallic one standing outdoors in Johanngeorgenstadt.

SCHWIBBOGEN from AMAZON.DE and AMAZON.COM
Order your own Schwibbogen from Amazon.de (Germany) or Amazon.com. The German Way earns a modest commission on your purchase, at no additional cost to you.

AMAZON.DE (Germany):
Heitmann Deco Wooden LED Light Arch
Mood Light Arch – Illuminated Christmas Decoration – White for Indoor Use
Amazon.de: “This stylish illuminated wooden decoration item is modern design. Stars highlight the five individual LED candles, the trees in the middle are set in the scene by an LED light. So you can set great highlights in any home with this Christmas lighting.”

Wichtelstube-Kollektion LED Candle Arch Oval Christmas Village Light Arch
Amazon.de: “Lovingly produced Candle Arch with LED lighting. Transformer (not included) or battery operated. Decorated and illuminated winter landscape with a range of winter figures lighting up the base provides for an extra special mood. Hand-painted, highest quality Wichtel House Collection, high-quality wooden wall art, with economical LED lighting in warm colors.

LED Candle Christmas Town Original Gnome House Collection Rainbow Light Arch
Amazon.de: “Lovingly produced Candle Arch with LED lighting. Transformer (not included) or battery operated. Light up the decorated and illuminated winter landscape with hand-painted houses features a special sentiment

AMAZON.COM (USA):
BRUBAKER Christmas LED Light Arch – Winter Landscape
Amazon.com: “Lovingly designed 3D winter landscape with detailed decorations, figures and LED-lit houses. Artful, high-quality product, hand-painted with subtle colors – traditional window, table and sideboard decoration. Operates with enclosed power cord or with 2 x 1.5V AA batteries (batteries not included).
Dimensions: 17.13 inches width x 10.55 inches height x 3.98 inches depth

Clever Creations Traditional LED Wooden Christmas Village
Light-Up Winter Snow and Christmas Tree | Solid Wood Construction | Festive Holiday Decoration | Battery Operated
Amazon.com: “This decorative wooden village is the perfect item to add festive holiday cheer to your home! This winter scene will complement any Christmas decor theme and is sure to bring the Christmas spirit into your home. Made out of high quality wooden materials, this LED Christmas Village is decorated with highly detailed Christmas Favorites. Requires 2x AA batteries (not included).”

MORE: German Style Christmas LED Light Arches and Winter Landscapes from Amazon.com

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