In Himmelpfort, Germany Father Christmas answers children’s letters

It was 1984, Germany was divided into capitalist west and communist east the place Matzke lived, when two letters caught her eye throughout the mail sorting room. Despatched by children in East Berlin and Saxony, moreover throughout the east, they’ve been addressed to Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) in Himmelpfort, which is about 50 miles north of the capital Berlin.

“I couldn’t carry myself to throw them away,” she recalled, now 64. After asking a colleague if letters to Father Christmas had arrived sooner than, she was suggested they’ve been saved away. Inside the hope of spreading some seasonal magic, Matzke replied — on behalf of Father Christmas and he or she turned the first Himmelpfort “angel.”

Phrase unfold and throughout the subsequent 4 years an growing variety of letters bought right here. She and her colleagues would reply spherical 75 letters every December. When the Berlin Wall bought right here down and Germany reunified, the trickle turned a flood and a whole lot of letters began to succeed in every day throughout the run as a lot as Christmas.

By 1995, Deutsche Submit, Germany’s house mail service, employed two helpers. In the intervening time, that amount has elevated to twenty to deal with better than 300,000 letters from 60 worldwide places — along with American cities from New York to Philadelphia to San Diego, the place apparently children had given up on the North Pole.

Accompanied by Christmas songs on the radio, 4 angels sporting shiny gold robes sit spherical a desk throughout the festive put up office, embellished from floor to ceiling. From mid-November, they tirelessly work by way of crate after crate of letters to guarantee that every receives a reply by the afternoon of Christmas Eve — when presents are traditionally delivered in Germany. Their work is interrupted solely by sporadic exclamations at a really artistic or amusing letter.

Gone are the occasions of handwritten replies nonetheless the printed response, created with the help of Matzke, in any case mimics the looping cursive of handwriting (each in German or English). The addresses on the envelopes are handwritten.

The wants over the various years have mirrored the altering situations and traits. From hopes for the latest gadget to longing to see grandparents in the middle of the pandemic years. Some, nonetheless, certainly not exit of favor. In 2022, the best wants have been good nicely being for the family, world peace, a white Christmas, dolls and vehicles.

Inside the final push sooner than the huge day, even Father Christmas — sporting his iconic sensible crimson, floor-length robe — is available to lighten the load. A quiet knock prompts him to depart his work and open the window the place Max, 6, has come to ship his letter by hand after a three-hour drive alongside together with his grandparents from town of Bitterfeld.

Two large eyes peer out from beneath a rain sodden jacket and widen on the sight of Father Christmas on the window. With a deep breath, Max bursts proper right into a rendition of the Christmas music, “So viel Heimlichkeit in der Weihnachtszeit” (Quite a bit coziness/secrecy at Christmas). His need itemizing is strictly for Father Christmas’s eyes solely.

“In any case these years, that’s reward and motivation adequate to carry on the magic. Notably as we converse when the occasions are lived so fast,” said Father Christmas, returning to his desk to a platter of festive treats. “A number of of the candy comes for the children. They know what Father Christmas likes,” he laughs, patting his midriff.

Himmelpfort is taken into account certainly one of seven Christmas put up workplaces spherical Germany and stays the nation’s largest and the one location throughout the nation’s jap space. But it surely absolutely isn’t merely Father Christmas who receives need lists in Germany. Counting on household and native customized, children can also write to St. Nicholas or the Christ Teen — an angel-like decide in a flowing gown, with blonde, curly hair.

By and large, traditionally Protestant areas throughout the north and east are visited by Father Christmas, whereas the traditionally Catholic areas of the west and south get hold of a reputation from the Christ Teen. St. Nick’s work is accomplished by Dec. 6 on his feast day.

“There’s not any opponents,” Father Christmas chuckles. “It’s merely regional variations. Nonetheless Father Christmas has remained the huge one.”

After just about 40 years of answering Christmas need lists, Chief Angel Matzke and her angelic colleagues haven’t any intentions of giving up their work anytime shortly.

“It’s unbelievable what this turned,” said Matzke. “People could have given up. Nonetheless that’s why every toddler should get a letter once more — in some other case we stop believing.”