SS candle holder – Julleuchter

The original German candle holder, the Julleuchter, was produced by the porcelain factory ALLACH, Lindenstraße in Dachau, Germany. Later, production was taken over by Deutschen Erd- und Steinwerke GmbH.

The candle holder was produced in reddish-brown clay, and German production is estimated at around 300,000 pieces in 1944. Originally, the Julleuchter candle holder is said to originate from southwestern Sweden, the Halland region, and can be traced back to ancient Nordic times. At that time, it was a small tower-shaped lantern.

Professor Herman Wirth is presumed to be the first to have noticed this ancient lantern. He included it in his book “Die Ura Linda Chronik”. H. Wirth, back on 1 July 1935, together with Heinrich Himmler, founded the Forschungs- und Lehrgemeinschaft Ahnenerbe — the research and teaching institute “ancestral heritage”.

A reconstruction was made, and the design was considered so distinctly Nordic that it was adopted as a symbol and given as a gift within the Waffen-SS.

Himmler stated on 8 November 1936: “I want the ordinary family of an SS soldier, and those who are married, to be in possession of this Julleuchter. Especially the wives will, if they have lost the myths/beliefs of the church, need something else to fill their hearts.”

The candle holder became a cultural symbol of Christmas and the Christmas season, and it was intended to be lit at the turning point of the sun, that is, the solstice, which falls on 21 December, as well as at the Christian Christmas on 24 December and New Year’s Eve on 31 December. Inside the holder, a small candle was to burn as a symbol of the old year coming to an end, and at the top a large and flaming symbol of the coming and brighter year.

A wax candle belonged to the holder. From as early as 1937, this candle was distributed together with a greeting from the RFSS (Reichsführer-SS). These greetings were locally translated into Flemish, Finnish, Norwegian, and in 1944 into Danish with the text:

“Christmas is for us Nordic people the Festival of Light. May the awareness that darkness must give way to the life-giving light give us all strength and power to face the future with the courage and confidence we owe to our brave comrades at the front – both those who have made the great sacrifice, and those who continue the fight until the final victory is won. May this Christmas also bring you tidings of the victory of light. That is what we wish for you and send you our greetings.”

as well as issued and signed by: Germanische Leitstelle, Denmark, A.F. Kriegersvej in Copenhagen. The signatory is often SS-Sturmbannführer Boysen.

Here is an excerpt of original documents that have been used in connection with the awarding and distribution of Julleuchter (to Danes).

Danish manufacture of Julleuchter

At some point in 1944, production was initiated at (it is assumed, but there is no conclusive documentation) Brack & Sons, Tåstrup. A witness has confirmed that he visited the clay kiln at the ceramics workshop and there saw Julleuchter.

However, there are also several examples of the Danish-produced candle holders coming directly from veterans, for example Svend & Elly Larsen, R. L. Hansen, Stubberup, and KBM’s family.

The distinguishing feature is a more coarse candle holder without markings. The factory used the mark CVB, which refers to C.V. Brack.

Around the mid-1930s, the factory was handed over by Georg Brack to his sons Carl Vilhelm and Fritz Brack, and it was moved from Roskilde to Tåstrup.

German article on the production and use of the Julleuchter.

Article from the German military magazine “Der Freiwillige”.