Adventsbasar of the Kaspar Hauser Foundation Pankow

The Kaspar Hauser Foundation – Workshops and Residential Communities

The Kaspar Hauser Foundation is an anthroposophically oriented institution for disability support in Berlin-Pankow. It operates residential communities, workshops, and day care facilities – guided by the pedagogical principles of Rudolf Steiner and the idea of inclusion through meaningful work. The workshops produce ceramics, felt products, beeswax candles, photo albums, and calendars, which become the showpieces in regular sales throughout the year and especially at the Advent bazaar.

An Advent Bazaar with a Workshop Character

The Advent bazaar takes place every year on the 1st Sunday of Advent and makes the foundation's workshop activities publicly accessible. In 2025, the bazaar was relocated due to construction work at the regular location (Rolandstraße 18–19) to the grounds of the nearby Konrad-Duden-School (Rolandstraße 35) – a pragmatic solution that proved successful. The location will remain flexible in 2026 as well; the exact area will be announced on the foundation's website shortly before the event.

Workshops: Candle Dipping and Wreath Making

The two central hands-on activities are candle dipping from warm beeswax and wreath making from fir branches. Both are living workshop traditions of anthroposophical pedagogy – and for the visitors of the bazaar, an opportunity to work together with the foundation's clients at a table. Watching the candle dipping process helps one understand why these candles smell, burn, and look different from mass-produced goods.

Sales Products from the Workshops

The sales tables feature what has been produced in the foundation's workshops over the year: ceramic bowls and cups, felt animals, wool vests, beeswax candles in many sizes and shapes, annual foundation calendars, photo albums with handmade paper. The prices are moderate, and the items are unique. Anyone looking for a gift with a story will find it here – every purchase directly supports the workshops and the people working there.

Niederschönhausen and the Pankow District

Niederschönhausen is a district in northern Berlin, in the Pankow borough – one of the most populous districts in the state of Berlin. It is a mix of villa estates, social welfare institutions, school complexes, and quiet residential areas. The Advent bazaar of the Kaspar Hauser Foundation is one of the Pankow Advent events that, away from the large commercial markets, paint a different, quieter picture of the pre-Christmas season.