DANK Springfield, Illinois Chapter

In some areas they never went away, so seen, and enjoyed, in the last weeks. Because those little men made from sweet yeast dough, who first appeared on St Martin's Day 11 November in many of Germany's regions, are also a 6th December St Nicholas' Day tradition.

Weckmänner, originally representing the Bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas, holding his staff, but it's thought a pipe replaced this during the 17th century Reformation of the Catholic Church. A time when clay pipe bakeries were in their heyday, and pipes a popular accessory.

Although there is another story...

Sometime in the 18th century a baker ran out of small croziers in the run-up to Christmas, but as he walked past a to***co shop saw its clay pipes in the display. His Weckmänner were saved. The pipes looked like inverted bishops' crooks, to him at least, and he used them from then on.

Now a typical Weckmann has eyes made of sultanas, and holds a white clay pipe.

But as for their name... Weckmänner, Stutenkerle, Kloskerle, or one of many others, that depends on where you eat them. There are, or were, more than 50 names in the Rhineland alone.

So...

Böxepitter (in Solingen)
Buggemann (Mönchengladbach/Viersen area)
Hellijemannskälsche (Seldom these days, but including in Cologne)
Hierzemann oder Hirzemann (The Bonn area)
Kloskerl (Widespread at one time)
Märtesmann (North Eifel)
Puhmann (Mülheim in and around the Ruhr)
Piefeklos (North Eifel but very seldom)
Senterklos-Stütt (Lower Rhine)
Stuttemann (Lower Rhine)
Weckmännes (Widespread)

In Austria🇦🇹 and the south of Germany🇩🇪 they could be Krampus, Backsmann, Dambedei, Klausemann, Grättimann, for Switzerland🇨🇭 Elggermaa and Grättimaa among others, and Luxemburg🇱🇺 Boxemännercher.

Photo credit: Stutenkerle/Weckmänner, daskochrezept.de/magazin