Herrnhut star (Moravian star)

What it is

The Herrnhut star is a three-dimensional star made of paper or plastic, lit from inside and hung in windows, churches and doorways during Advent. It is made by Herrnhuter Sterne GmbH in Herrnhut, eastern Saxony, the birthplace of the Moravian Church. The German Patent and Trade Mark Office describes it as the origin of all Christmas stars.

How it works

The genuine star has 25 points: 17 with a square base and 8 with a triangular base. A 26th position on the base body is left open for the lamp cable and mounting. The points are supplied flat and clipped or slotted onto a central body, a solution that Herrnhut bookseller Pieter Hendrik Verbeek developed so stars could be packed flat and sent by post. He began selling them in 1897 and applied in 1925 for a patent on the frameless star. The paper versions are still folded and glued by hand; outdoor plastic versions have machine-made points.

Why it stands out

It began as teaching material. In the early 19th century a mathematics teacher at a Moravian boarding school, most sources point to Niesky about 50 km away, had pupils build paper stars to understand geometry. The design survived a Nazi production ban from 1940, nationalisation as an East German state enterprise in 1950 and the return of production to the church in 1967. In GDR times most stars went for export, and East German families often got them only under the counter. In 1991 the manufactory relaunched as a private company with 23 staff.

Where you meet it

Across Germany in December, and in Moravian communities abroad, for example in the United States, where the star became a fixture of church Advent traditions. Recent reports give annual sales of about 700,000 (DPMA) and about 850,000 stars exported to 60 countries (epd, 2026). Visitors to Herrnhut can watch stars being made at the show manufactory.

Sources

• DPMA: The Herrnhut star
• Sonntagsblatt: Nur echt mit 25 Zacken
• evangelisch.de: Ein besonderer Stern leuchtet in die weite Welt
• Wikipedia: Moravian star