Nutcracker dolls originate from late-17th century Germany, particularly the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge) region. One origin story attributes the creation of the first nutcracker doll to a craftsman from Seiffen. They were often given as gifts, and at some point they became associated with Christmas season. They grew in popularity around the 19th century and spread to nearby European countries. As the demand grew, nutcracker doll production also began on a mass scale in factories. Friedrich Wilhelm Füchtner (1844-1923), commonly known in Germany as “father of the nutcracker”, began the first mass production of the design (using a lathe) at his workshop in Seiffen in Saxony during 1872.

Decorative nutcracker dolls began being popularized outside of Europe after the Second World War, when numerous American soldiers stationed in Germany came home to the United States with German nutcrackers as souvenirs.

Learn more about the history of the Nutcracker here: https://www.christmasmagazine.com/the-legend-of-the-first-nutcracker/#:~:text=Nutcracker%20dolls%20originate,nutcrackers%20as%20souvenirs.