The figurine for our 20th anniversary
"Lamplighter"
Now, twenty years have passed since "Privatoffizien Wolfgang Bock" was founded on November 1, 2005, and has been a manufacturer since 1985. The last ten years have brought us a great deal of work and significant changes: Our mold inventory has doubled through the purchase and acquisition of the American Civil War molds from Mr. Sayk and Mr. Nussbaum (formerly Fohler Vienna). We were also able to add some of the Droste molds for the Thirty Years' War to our collection. And finally, Marbod Gerstenhauer took over the KILIA company, which gave us the enjoyable and interesting task of repairing some molds and partially re-engraving others.
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As with our tenth anniversary, we have once again released a special figurine in 60 mm (total height 150 mm) – the "Lantern Lighter."
... The idea originated from the bronze statue of a lamplighter and a gas lantern, unveiled in 2013 on Ölberg hill in Wernigerode.
This monument commemorates the founding of the Wernigerode municipal utilities in 1863, when gas lanterns were installed throughout the town. Until 1900, Wernigerode's first gasworks was located on Ölberg hill, where town gas was produced from coal to supply the lanterns. Until the 1960s, lamplighters were responsible for lighting the gas lanterns in the evening and extinguishing them in the morning, and Mike and I still have some memories of them. We believe that regional history should not be forgotten, no matter how much time has passed.
Our figure depicts a veteran of the German Wars of Unification, serving in the Prussian Municipal Gas Works. He is accompanied by a vagrant.
We're including a Schieder sticker with the inscription "Offizin" with the figure!
Wolfgang Bock, November 2025
Drawing: Mike Michaelis
Engraving: Wolfgang Bock
Painting/Photo: Jörg Hensel
