Craft fair: Old craft revived

He can create true masterpieces from an inconspicuous piece of wood: Karl-Josef Röck is a sculptor. I met with him in his quaint store in downtown Seefeld. This is where he works and sells his art on site. As soon as I enter the store, I smell the wonderful scent of wood. Not only my nose, but also my eyes are immediately engaged: I see hundreds of small and large works of art. Karl-Josef is already at work: He has created a sculpture for the Kunst Handwerksfest, which he will complete in front of the visitors during the festival. What it is exactly, we do not reveal yet - only this much: It is imposing! It is a beautiful sculpture made of his favorite wood: the Swiss stone pine. It grows in the Alps at an altitude of 1800m. Karl-Josef loves them: "When you cut them, their scent goes through the whole room," he enthuses. The wood of the Swiss stone pine is extremely resinous, but also durable.

"How does a work of art like this come into being?" I ask Karl-Josef, looking at the huge sculpture next to us. "First I draw a lot," he explains to me. "And I also tear up a lot of it again," he adds with a laugh. So the idea goes from the head to the paper. And then from paper to wood. He gets his inspiration primarily from nature - and from the Lord God. This can also be seen in his art: Nativity figures, Mary figures, crosses and all kinds of animals can be found, among other things. Karl-Josef shows with his art that thousands of years old handicraft is still modern and fascinating today. He lives his passion - you can feel and see that in his store. Not only at the Kunst Handwerksfest, but also during a stroll through Seefeld's city center, you should definitely pay him a visit!

My next visit takes me to the forge workshop of Martin Albrecht. He has a passion for the hot elements: Fire and iron. I also get to feel the heat directly: as soon as I enter the workshop, the hot furnace makes me sweat. Not only is it hot, it can also get loud - a job for real men! The fact that Martin's art is something very special and unique can be seen in his design workshop: There are many works hanging on the walls that amaze me.

Born in Leutasch, he made his apprenticeship as a blacksmith at the young age of 15. Since then he has developed his own style and found his own approach to this craft. In the truest sense of the word, he is "on fire" for his profession! Perhaps the greatest compliment was once paid to him by an old blacksmith: "Thank you for making our craft modern again!", he said to Martin. That probably sums it up: Old tradition lived in a modern way.

Until a work is completed, Martin holds it in his hands many times. The iron lies in the hot embers up to three times. Up to 1100 degrees prevail in the furnace. Then it is worked with various tools. For example, there is the spring hammer, which dates back to 1926 - an almost frightening device. With a "bear weight" of 80 kilograms, it strikes the iron. I prefer to keep a little distance... Even when Martin demonstrates the plasma cutter to me, I keep a safe distance: The sparks spray in all directions! It looks beautiful and I am fascinated how detailed and accurate he can cut with it.

Every year, the crafts festival takes place in Seefeld. Not only Karl-Josef Röck and Martin Albrecht will be represented. Many talented and captivating craftsmen more await the visitors: mask carvers, fabric printers, felters, glass blowers, saddlers, mountain pine oil burners, hallmarkers, gold embroiderers, and many more! Culinary delicacies are conjured up by the bakers in the wood-fired oven, and there are also specialties from grandmother's kitchen. The folk and brass musicians will provide the right music.