Overview
- In Himmelstadt, Bavaria, the office opened for in‑person drop‑offs on the first Advent with long queues reported and about 10,000 letters already received.
- Letters reaching Himmelstadt by December 17 will get a reply before Christmas, with standard responses sent when addresses are clear and personal notes added to especially moving messages.
- Across Germany, the seven filials have already recorded several ten‑thousand letters from around the world, including early arrivals from Australia and New Zealand.
- Up to 40 helpers in Himmelstadt and small volunteer teams elsewhere sort mail, translate when needed, and keep operations running with limited stamp allocations and donations.
- Himmelsberg in Thuringia favors handwritten letters over email, with nine local volunteers writing each reply as many children ask for family time, health, peace and climate protection.