von Kathrin Ebenhoch
26 September 2022
REGIONS-ORIGINALE
Chance, talent, and dedication - The life ingredients of carver Hermann Klocker
You don’t have to be born in the Leutaschtal to belong here and to shape the region, at least in part. For more than 20 years, woodcarver Hermann Klocker has been proving this impressively. The sound of his hammer strikes and the wood shavings from the native East Tyrolean have long been part of the Kühtaierhof's atmosphere. He now carves at the Ganghofermuseum cultural center and appreciates every visitor who stops by his carving studio on the first floor.
New Home Cultural Center Ganghofer Museum
You can hear them right away when you enter the cultural center Ganghofermuseum: The gentle strikes with which Hermann Klocker works his wood to create nativity figures, cows, or birds. Once you reach the first floor, you might stumble over small and large wood shavings. "This also adds a bit of extra life to the museum," Klocker remarks slyly. The 82-year-old loves his new workplace, the light-flooded room with countless carving tools and the many large and small figures that adorn the sills and walls. Ending up here was a happy coincidence, like many things in his life. His former workshop in the Kühtaierhof was needed elsewhere, and Klocker was looking for a new space. "That's when I met Iris*, we chatted, she told me about this space here and immediately made me an offer," Klocker smiles. "And now I have a contract until I'm 85." The new carving room is a quantum leap from his old small workshop in the Kühtaierhof, which many had referred to as a dark hole. Nevertheless, he had loved that dark little chamber as well. "I was happy in there."
*Iris Krug, the long-time manager of the cultural center and still today his enthusiastic senior boss.
Happiness is a little bird – or a board and in any case the schnitzbank!
Happy because he could fully pursue his passion for carving there. But even this great passion, which has shaped his life for over 20 years now, the native of Dölsach discovered rather by chance.
"We had a small summer house in Karrösten (near Imst). I wanted to decorate the roof beams, but no one had time."
So he just did it himself. At that time, the trained machine fitter was still working in Landeck. There he had started at the company Krismer at the workbench before later moving to the desk. "I always missed doing manual work," he admits. So carving came just at the right time.
Still, it took a little while after the decorative boards for the purlins before it really got going. At the beginning of his retirement, Klocker then looked for a task. He remembered his Swiss stone pine board from the summer house, the strength it had given him, and began to carve. His first work: a figure of his granddaughter Chiara, as she was just learning to play the flute. He was struck by passion during this. And he still feels it today, with every commissioned work and with every little plaything he makes just for himself. These little creations, like the countless big and small birds, then adorn the carving studio. And they make it Klocker's second home:
"I really look forward to every day I can be here in Leutasch."
Spending Trousers for Marriage
Klocker has been living in Telfs for 40 years. He gave up his dream of moving to the Leutasch Valley for the sake of his wife Marianne. "I would love to live here, but Marianne preferred to stay in Telfs." As a result, she has to do without her Hermann six days a week from morning until evening. "But she's managing with that," he says proudly and admits: "Sunday is always completely hers, often the whole weekend too. And of course, I'm the generous one then." For any outing request, whether to the children or to St. Moritz, he says no: "Then it’s off to wherever she wants to go."
Zither and Chess – it's time to play in good company
Because a hermit is definitely not the passionate carver. He enjoys the company, loves it when one of his chess partners stops by the carving studio. Then the carving work is set aside, the pipe is lit, and they play. With other guests, he also likes to take out the zither and play a piece. Like his carving, he taught himself how to play the zither. He plays without fingerings or positions, but with joy and skilled passion. "Fate has surely been kind to me with talents," he says with a modest smile. Perhaps.
Manger time: the most beautiful time of the year
But perhaps it is also because Klocker approaches everything with great dedication. He is already looking forward to a special time in the carving year, the time of the nativity scenes.
"These are my favorite projects, romantic nativity scenes in a mountain landscape."
He carves the figures, and for the landscapes, he looks for materials in nature. "I take a walk every day and see what I can find in nature. I then process it with a lot of imagination." A nice side effect: By using natural materials, he never loses the connection to his customers. "The braids I use don’t last forever, so I have to replace them every few years." The 82-year-old is of course happy to do this and is pleased every time his work is honored.
Klocker himself holds many things in high regard: especially his talents and the opportunity to work at the Kulturhaus Ganghofermuseum. Therefore, he hopes to be able to drive to Leutasch every day for a long time and to give something back to the region through his work at the museum:
"Because there is always something to see with me."
Hermann Klocker can usually be found during the opening hours of the Kulturhaus Ganghofermuseum on the first floor of the building. To find him, it is best to follow the sounds of carving or the fine scent of larch wood, as this is his preferred material for carving. If you can’t smell it, you will surely be welcomed by the aromatic scent of pipe tobacco instead.
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