24 November 2016

Vienna Insight into Christmas market at Stephansdom: The history of the design of snowglobes

It's in the meanwhile an annual tradition that Fashionoffice reports from the special markets which are known under names like Christmas market, Advent or Winter market and pop up each year in November and December all around the country. One new market was announced recently; the 'Ochs + Esel' winter market has a strong focus on fashion and objects by mainly Viennese designers (first event on 10 December).

An around 110 year old original Viennese design good was seen today at the Christmas market at Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral). The snowglobes on view on this page were invented by the Austrian Erwin Perzy, a surgical instrument mechanic, inventor and producer. The snowglobe was a side product. He actually searched for a better light design for surgical lamps. Erwin Perzy experimented with a water filled globe and added various materials to enhance the light by reflection. One of the materials reminded him of snowflakes. In 1900, he designed the first snowglobe; as object inside, he chose one of the most famous Austrian churches, Mariazell Basilica.

fig.: The second snowglobe from left shows Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) in snowflakes. Picture captured at the booth of the 'Original Wiener Schneekugelmanufaktur, Erwin Perzy' at Weihnachstmarkt am Stephansplatz, 24 November 2016.

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