A childhood dream
In 2006, the Swiss collector Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher decided to give her valuable collection of Ore Mountain folk art to the town of Annaberg-Buchholz as a permanent loan. This was a godsend for our town and the entire region, because thus a unique treasure came back to the place of its origin.
The Ore Mountains were home to the family of the collector for generations, here she spent carefree childhood days and experienced the magic of the Ore Mountains Christmas celebration. The memories of that time lived on when she was far from home and is shown in Mrs. Pohl-Ströher's passion for collection. The collection was established in memory of Marie Ströher, the collector's grandmother. Initially residing in Bohemia, the family came in the 17th Century to Saxony and settled later in Oberwiesenthal. Among her ancestors was a master hairdresser whose business eventually grew into the internationally renowned company Wella. After 1945, the Ströher family had to leave their home in the Ore Mountains. Only a few pieces could be saved from their Ore Mountain folk art collection. However, the few remaining objects served as the base for further collecting.
