Balzhausen's Christmas house shines love and legacy
The Christmas house in Balzhausen is one of the most beautiful on the street, and it carries a touching story. Each time 69-year-old Josef Glogger lights up the Christmas decorations in front of his house, he sends a message to his late wife, Erika.
According to "Bild," two decades ago, the Glogger couple began decorating their home and garden with thousands of lights, angels, and nativity scenes during Advent. The couple, who had no children, were delighted when children visited their garden lit up with Christmas lights. Sadly, last year, 63-year-old Erika lost her long battle with leukemia.
I promised her that I would continue, Josef said in an interview with "Bild."
Erika and Josef were married for 26 years. Her passing was a significant blow for him, but he found the strength to continue their tradition despite the loss. Last year, he arranged wooden figures in his yard and stretched hundreds of feet of cables. 45,000 LED lights illuminated his garden.
The Christmas garden was his wife's idea
Josef does not hide that the garden full of Christmas decorations was his wife's dream, and she came up with the idea of creating it. "She also wanted two large angels, which I built for her from wood in 1999 and 2001, with openings to place lamps in them," he revealed in an interview with "Bild."
Erika's battle with cancer lasted many years. Five years ago, the couple decided to place containers with mulled wine and punch on the fence, along with a donation box. The collected funds were allocated to support cancer research. As the 69-year-old mentioned, 6,000 visitors raised 30,000 euros for leukemia research in the last five years.
The year Erika passed away, the lights in our home gave me much comfort. Sometimes, I hear from guests who have experienced similar losses that this view helps them get through tough times, admitted Josef.
