Weihnachtsburg in Stützengrün

Folk Art Environment Made of Stone

The existence of this house has been etched somewhere in my long-term memory for years, but I never managed to motivate myself to go and find it again—until yesterday!

Tucked away on a side street in Stützengrün stands a fairly large multi-family house with extensions. Quite atypically, it’s clad on two visible sides with rough concrete paving slabs. The west-facing gable side is adorned with false columns, an archway, and embedded stones.

Towering above it all is a sandstone figure of a miner, above which sits an eagle and a copper-colored dome. The windows are seemingly decorated year-round with traditional Ore Mountain Schwibbogen candle arches. A massive sandstone pyramid (Ore Mountain-style, not Egyptian) stands on the other side of the archway, which leads into an otherwise plain cement-colored garage.

The pyramid appears to be composed of hand-carved figures, paintings, and found plastic figurines. Attached to one of the pyramid’s wings is a toy train engine.

On a building in the courtyard above the garage is a stone relief bearing the inscription: “Built by M.L. 1994–1998” along with the face of M. Leistner.

On the front of the house, a Schwibbogen is carved in relief into the sandstone—naively styled, yet surprisingly detailed.

There is also a relief that seems to depict the Prince George Tower (Prinz-Georg-Turm)¹ on the Kuhberg—at least that’s my assumption—as well as a railway/bridge scene, which I haven’t been able to identify.

On the opposite gable side, more year-round Schwibbogen candle arches are visible in the windows, along with stone mosaics set into the paving slabs.

Overall, this is a very unusual folk art environment for this region and, it seems, one that hasn’t been documented elsewhere.

As a side note: you can actually spend your vacation here, as there is a holiday apartment available for rent.

Info

Manfred Leistner's Weihnachtsburg is a remarkable example of outsider art located in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) region of Saxony, Germany. Over more than a decade, Leistner transformed his private home into a vibrant folk art environment, blending traditional regional motifs with personal creativity.

The house is adorned with paving slabs and mosaics, showcasing Leistner's dedication to detailed craftsmanship. A standout feature is the large sandstone Christmas pyramid, a traditional structure in the region, which includes intricately carved figures and a prominent miner statue atop the roof. This miner pays homage to the area's mining heritage.

Leistner's Weihnachtsburg stands as a unique and personal artistic expression, reflecting both the cultural traditions of the Erzgebirge and the artist's individual vision.