"No turn is a wrong turn"
German Wood Carving - Oberammergau
From time to time, travelers to Germany
want to bring home wood carvings that are special to them. I’ve answered many e-mail requests of those searching,
so here’s a little more background with some pictures.
Now in my young days, I could “whittle and spit” with the best of my friends. But my Momma caught me “spittin’”
one day, and put a stop to it. In spite of Mom’s admonition, I never lost my admiration of what man and knife can
do with a piece of wood.
My new bride Suzie and I took a special interest in German wood carving when we opened our first gift of a German
woodcarving from my parents back in 1970. They had just returned from visiting my sister in Germany, her husband
being stationed near Würzburg. The 14” high carving of a little old German night watchman, and under his spiked
German helmet was a weathered face framed behind his long moustache, bringing a reality of life. One hand holds
his horn and the other a poled weapon of his profession.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Our little wooden friend immediately became
one of our special treasures. My parents told me it came from a place they called Oberammergau, and was carved
by one of the premier wood carvers in Germany.
As the years passed, I would gently hold this small wooden statue as I looked at pictures of Germany with its story
book castles, it’s vineyard covered hills, it’s red-roofed houses, and all the other wonderful scenes that open
to such wonderful reality to those who can go there. For years I dreamed of taking Suzie to Germany and sharing
all this together. We did get a taste of this when we visited Belgium in the mid 1980’s, but we never made it to
Germany during that trip.
Finally in 1995, Suzie and I decided to make our dreams come true. We planned, made lists, and bought our tickets
to Munich. I called my sister and asked if she still had the name and address of the woodcarver in Oberammergau.
She did, and we added Josef Bühner, Holzbildhauermeister as an important stop to our list of “must do’s.” (See more info below)
Nine trips later, we have many German woodcarvings in our home, all from the same wonderful Josef Bühner of
Oberammergau. During this year’s visit, we also learned from Herr Bühner some history, good and sad, about
the woodcarving artistry of the area.
For centuries, as the German royalty built their palaces, carriages, and other artistically ornate possessions, much of the wood came from southwest Germany. With the wood came the wood carvers and wood workers of all talents. For example, we learned the Neuschwanstein’s ornate woodcarvings were mostly crafted by the artisans of the Oberammergau area. The same craftsmen were used for Linderhof and other palaces in and around Munich.
Herr Bühner tells us that today,
almost 80% of the wood carvers around Oberammergau no longer practice their art. And with this loss, future generations
are no longer learning the craft and the art is being lost. Why? Machines. Wood carving machines that can turn
out fast and cheap products which are still sold for “authentic prices” and bring a much higher profit. Wood carving
machines also turn products so quickly they can be utilized based on customer “highest demand carving of the day,”
with no backlog inventory required. Machines allow merchants to tell customers “Order now and pick up in two hours”
the wood carvers complain. Most tourists don’t know or have time to learn, and sales are brisk.
Herr Bühner also tells us the easiest way to tell the difference is that the real personal carvings
have the knife-mark edges of the woodcarver’s tools, but the machine carvings are much more smooth and rounded.
It’s with great pride that Herr Bühner and his Frau tell us their son Christian Bühner (now in his early
30’s) is following in his father’s master craftsman footsteps. We have seen Christian’s creations, and we agree
that he has learned well from his mentor father. In fact, their talents and abilities are equal in my eyes!
Their shop is in the home of the Bühner
family, and each time we visit, our eyes feast on their creative talents. From the tiniest, most intricate toys
in the shoulder sack of an 18” St. Nicholas, to larger busts of history, we marvel at the majesty of their fingertips.
Here are a few pictures of the woodcarvings we’ve brought home...
(Click on picture to enlarge)
The 5” bust of the bearded old man with his crooked stemmed pipe. Under the feathered hat is a face forged of strong character, long on experience full of hardship, but full of strength and perseverance. Although his face is wood, his eyes are so real they tell me again the stories by my grandfather in years gone by.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Another picture is that of the bent, wrinkled
old man returning to the berg from chopping firewood in the nearby forests. His old wife, with scarf around her
head (not shown) carries a bundle of small sticks on her back.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
And finally we have a carving that is
so very real to me: The hunter and his hund. The old bearded man with his gun, with gun strap slung over his shoulder
and barrel down, pauses to talk to his faithful friend, his dog. As you can see the loving dog, with one paw still
in the air, is pausing to listen to his master. They understand each other. The trust and faith of each is captured,
not just from imagination, but from the years of experience of one who’s enjoyed the faithful companionship, love
and comfort of their own pet, and whose loving experiences flowed through their creative fingers to share this
wooden memory of their happiness and experiences.
By now you’re probably thinking I’m the type that haunts museums and art galleries. Well, I can walk through them
as fast as the next person I guess. But through the fingertips of Herr Bühner, I know we share so many of
the same lifelong experiences of knowing those of our grandfather's generations of the 1800’s and into the early
1900’s, listening to their life histories of hardship, perseverance, love of family, strengths of survival, and
building from wilderness their homes and their communities. While I’m limited by my memories and few scratchy notes,
Herr Bühner shares his memories through wood, and lovingly brings his memories to life.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Herr Bühner and his Frau in the front
yard of their home.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Herr Bühner carves his signature
in one of my treasures.
By the way… If you wish to visit Herr Bühner’s shop, or wish to contact him to find your own wonderful treasures
of Germany, here’s the studio address of both the father Josef and his son Christian. Be prepared for a wonderful
experience… of a lifetime.
Josef Bühner
Holzbildhauermeister
Christian Bühner
Holzbildhauermeister
www.christianbuehner.de
Ludwig-Lang-Strasse 39
82487 Oberammergau
GERMANY
Tel - +49 08822/4380
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