October 6th is German-American Day commemorating the arrival of German settlers to Philadelphia in 1683.

There have been a lot of wonderful German doll makers. Here's a link to a travel site specializing in doll tours of Europe, including the International Puppenfestival Tour in May, 2010. Pardon me while I dream for a few minutes.

I'm ready to pack my bags after reading about visiting the ancient buildings that were once doll factories in Waltershausen, Germany. The page contains a fascinating description of doll making as a family based cottage industry in the 18th century and earlier.

In a similar tradition and closer to home, Sowatzka's Dolls is a family of doll makers, collectors and expert restoration artists. Gary has several pages of useful tips for collectors and many restoration techniques. As well, they are collecting personal doll memory stories(and offering prizes!). Many of these moving tales are about love and loss and redemption - the importance a doll can have in a child's life, or an adult's.