Great magic in a nutshell can be found in Dorfchemnitz, in an old house with a small workshop - the Gernegroß wood workshop. The manufactory is nowadays especially known for its walnut miniatures.
The founding of the family business Gernegroß took place in 1919. The master woodturner Max Gernegroß pursued the goal of building up a woodworking business with his three sons. But after two brothers lost their lives in World War II, Roland Gernegross took over the family business in 1945 and initially specialized in the manufacture of hospital furniture and other functional items. In 1966, nutcrackers and Christmas figures carved entirely according to the Erzgebirge tradition were successfully included in the product range, and soon the first nutshell miniatures were designed. Roland’s son Friedmar has continued the family business in the third generation since 1985.

Gernegroß walnut shells

They are 7 gram "heavy" and 1,8 inches "large": Gernegross walnut shells can be purchased in a wide variety of motifs. In a real walnut half - each of them naturally unique - the tiny figures are dancing, chopping wood, making music or flirting. The turning and carving of the extremely small motifs and the even much smaller accessories requires very great craftsmanship and long experience. Tiny, handmade chip trees adorn the nutshells and you can even find the famous Dresden church in nutshell format. The motifs are equipped with either a turned foot or a ribbon for hanging, so that they can also be hung on the Christmas tree or in the Easter bush. The fine craftsmanship of Gernegroß creates in each nut a new miniature motif with big impact.