Herr Winter with tree 1847
Moritz von Schwind’s illustration of Herr Winter
The most important contribution to the look of the Weihnachtsmann in Germany, and, thus, the look of the American Santa Claus was Moritz von Schwind’s illustration of Herr Winter. Although there were earlier versions, it was the 1847 publication of Herr Winter holding a lighted tree in the German magazine Munchner Bilderbogen that popularized the figure.