Between teddy bears and kiwi berries: tradition lives on in central Germany
From stuffed animals, travel cookies, and kiwi berries: In Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, young people are leading traditional family businesses into the future.
The animal is to be called “Pingu.” Little Nele watches attentively as her mother fills out the birth certificate for her new stuffed penguin. Date of birth: January 18, 2026, owner: Nele, place of birth: Berlin – or should it say: Thuringia, Hall 20, Booth 242?
At Martin Bären GmbH in the toy town of Sonnenberg, children and adults can stuff their own cuddly toy until Monday, January 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are five different teddy bears to choose from, a tawny owl created in collaboration with the Thuringian Forest, a dog, a cat, a wolf, a turtle, a bat, and the penguin that Nele chose.
When children create their own cuddly toys
The children push the stuffing into the fabric either with their fingers or a stuffing tool, then hand their work to Sina Martin, who sews it up with skillful stitches. The Martin Bären company was founded in 1924 by Sina's great-great-grandfather Albin Martin. “When I was three years old, I wrote in a poetry album that I wanted to take over the business one day,” says Sina. She hands Nele the thread and the penguin and says, “You can cut the umbilical cord now.” Finally, the newborn “Pingu” is weighed on kitchen scales and its birth weight of 12g is entered in the “cuddly toy passport” that Nele is allowed to take home with her. “There's something empowering about children deciding for themselves how their cuddly toy should be filled and learning about the craft behind it,” says Sina Martin.
Of dumplings, kiwi berries, and quick noodles
Right next to Martin Bären, the Zwerwlschnitzer Verein carves dumpling tools from conifer trunks, which help to beat the dough for the famous Thuringian dumplings until it is light and fluffy. Visitors can also sample Thuringian truffles or Erfurt watercress. A few steps further, in Saxony, there is kiwi berry mulled wine made from kiwi berries, Saxon apple wine, and spices from the Ore Mountains—or non-alcoholic with apple juice (Hall 21b/287). Werner Merkel began breeding and selecting kiwi berries during the GDR era. Today, his grandson Richard Hamann continues to run the Kiwiri nursery in Niederwiesa. Kiwi berries can also be grown in pots on balconies and terraces.
Germany's first pasta vending machine is also located in Saxony (Hall 21b/282). It is stocked with pasta and sauces from Teigwaren Riesa GmbH, including pasta with mushroom sauce, carbonara-style pasta, and pasta with tomato sauce and orange. The selected packaged portion is heated directly in the vending machine. “After a maximum of three minutes, you have your pasta dish. We offer this to various companies where people work night shifts,” says Odette Lamkhizni from New Age Food.
Sweet refreshments from Saxony-Anhalt
If you need a break, take a seat at the Anhalter Café in Hall 23b with a Baumkuchen cake from Hennig (23/229). If you want to keep going a little longer, grab some freeze-dried fruit snacks with superfoods from Nutripur (23/245) or cookies for on the go from the traditional brand Wikana (23/244). The 120-year-old company has a new cookie on offer this year: the Pittiplatsch Knusperkeks, which is presented at the stand by Pittiplatsch and the Sandmännchen in cuddly toy form.
Families can stuff their own stuffed animals at the Thüringenhalle.