Honecker and Kohl as smokers: A piece of history continues to smoke!

Honecker and Kohl as smokers: A piece of history continues to smoke!

Seiffen (dpa) - The Erzgebirge smokers, known for their traditional charm, are expanding their repertoire to include figures from the world of politics. In the latest collection from Seiffener Volkskunst, the former GDR head of state Erich Honecker and his West German counterpart, ex-Chancellor Helmut Kohl, are surprisingly represented as incense smokers.

This decision caused a stir, but according to Sven Reichl, the company's CEO, the response from customers so far has been consistently positive. “Most people think it’s a good thing,” he explained, noting with a wink that no orders had yet been received from the Union.

Successful sales figures of the previous figures

The employees of Seiffener Volkskunst, around 50 in total, hope that the new smokers will be as well received as the figure of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, which proved to be a “box office hit”. This smoker woman has helped the company to flourish and the cash registers to ring.

The new figures of Kohl and Honecker have a price of 89.90 euros each and are therefore in direct competition with Merkel's figure, which is offered for 85.70 euros. Other innovative designs, such as the traffic light man or a special figure of the current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is depicted with an eye patch, also enrich the range.

The international market for these specially made figures is also an interesting field. The export share, which is surprisingly in the low double-digit range, refers to countries in which there is a German community. The demand for Erzgebirge folk art is particularly strong in the USA. Orders from Mexico and Singapore are also not uncommon. Russia, on the other hand, has turned out to be a less relevant market.