February 10th is Umbrella Day and it reminded me of my favorite Hummels, the Umbrella Girl and Umbrella Boy. I was thrilled to discover that I could get traditional Hummels ornaments directly from Germany! I love the innocence of the children in these figurines and the rich heritage of their humble beginnings.
M. I. Hummels are a German tradition, but did you know they were designed by a nun, banned from being sold by Hitler himself, became popular in the United States because of soldiers stationed abroad during World War II and that the largest museum containing more than 1,000 rare Hummels is actually located in the United States?
The History of Hummels
Hummels Were Conceived As Drawings By A Nun
This amazing story begins in Bavaria with a 12 year old girl, Berta, who showed so much artistic promise, her father sent her away to art school, where she graduated with honors from the Academy of Arts in Munich in 1931. Upon graduation, to the shock of friends and family, she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Siessen to answer a higher calling.
Sister Maria Innocentia (the name she selected when she took her vows) was appointed the position of art teacher at all of the schools the order ran. A cheerful and active teacher, she used color, Bavarian nature, inspiration of the Alps and a love of children to create drawings she gave to her students as a reward. Seeing the children’s joy, her fellow Sisters desperately wanted to send her artwork to a publishing house. She reluctantly agreed and her Hummels drawings were published as postcards.
These artistic cards intrigued Franz Goebel, a porcelain maker, who purchased the rights to the works from the Sisters and in 1935, introduced the first line of 46 Hummels at the major international Leipzig Trade Fair.
Hitler Criticized Hummels And Banned Their Distribution
It was only a matter of time before the Hummels caught the eye of unsuccessful painter and German dictator, Adolf Hitler. In 1937, Hitler denounced Hummels because they depicted German children as having “hydrocephalic heads”, meaning he felt their heads appeared abnormally oversized.
Nazi Germany was difficult for Sister Maria Innocentia. They allowed her to continue Hummels work for Goebel, but banned the distribution of her art throughout Germany. In a Nazi magazine, a reference was made to her Hummels artwork that “the ‘beloved Fatherland’ cannot remain calm when Germany’s youth are portrayed as brainless sissies”.
By the 1940s, Nazis had closed the religious schools and seized the convent, forcing the nuns out. Of the 250 sisters, only 40 were allowed to remain, reduced to sleeping and working in cells. With food scarce and the cold intense, the Sisters were grateful for the money that the Hummels brought them (even if the Nazis took half).
Hummels Collectors Should Thank American Soldiers
Hummels earned their reputation in the United States through soldiers stationed in Germany, who shipped these precious gifts home to family. Reminding them of their homeland, German immigrants on the East Coast especially, became enamored with the collecting them. Hummels were so popular with Americans, that when the war finally ended, it was the American occupation of Germany that kept Goebel in production of Hummels.
While Americans reveled in the charm of Hummels and drove up their prices to meet demand, Sister Maria Innocentia was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Even after being sent to a sanitarium twice, she was unable to recover and died at the age of 37.
Illinois Boasts The Largest Collection Of Hummels In The World
Donald E. Stephens became an avid Hummels collector during a trip to Europe with his son in the 1960s. He loved the challenge of acquiring rare pieces to add to his budding collection. By the time he became the mayor of Rosemont, Illinois, his collection had grown to over 1,000 Hummels! Upon the longtime mayor’s death, he donated his beloved collection to the city and on March 13, 2011 Rosemont opened a museum to house and display the vast number of Hummels. It is currently the largest collection of Hummels in the world!
The astonishing Hummels story starts begins with a love of the Bavarian countryside and children and blossomed into beloved figurines collected for generations. On Umbrella Day, take a moment and think about these humble drawings and the fact that today, this Umbrella Girl figurine sells for $329-$1750!
Luckily, you can purchase our original Hummels Umbrella Girl personalized Christmas ornament for only $20.95. If you are inspired by this story, check out our Hummels Christmas ornaments that contains ours selection of original ornaments made in Germany!
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Jon: Thank you. I couldn’t resist writing about our Hummels ornaments!