Suche
Mein Konto
Cologne's carpenters celebrate the leap into journeyman life - a new beginning!
On July 15, 2025, new journeymen of the carpenters' guild were ceremoniously inducted into the rank of journeymen in Dünnwald.
Cologne's carpenters celebrate the leap into journeyman life - a new beginning!
On July 15, 2025, the time had come: this year's carpenter journeymen were ceremoniously accepted into the journeyman class in Cologne. The ceremony took place at the Marco Greis carpentry shop in Dünnwald, and the atmosphere was exuberant. Master carpenters Marco Greis, Günter Glöde and Sascha Nitsche warmly congratulated the newly qualified craftsmen.
Sascha Nitsche, the apprentice manager, encouraged the new journeymen to actively shape their professional future and explore opportunities in crafts, studies or on the move. Acceptance into the community of carpenters was marked by a symbolic jump over a beam, a handshake and a sip of rennet. A special custom was the blow on the buttocks with a ruler, which symbolically gave the new carpenters absolution from the sins of their apprenticeship.
Traditions of carpentry
The tradition of carpentry has deep-rooted customs that are often continued while traveling. This, also known as Walz, has its origins in the late Middle Ages and is still maintained by many journeymen today. Originally, the journey was the prerequisite for the master craftsman examination in order to get to know new ways of working and gain life experience. The duration of this journey was usually three years and one day.
Nowadays, journeymen go on voluntary journeys to expand their skills and discover foreign places. From the late Middle Ages to industrialization, it was the norm for journeymen to gain experience in other cities before returning to their parents' company. Today only a few trades, including carpentry, have retained some degree of migration.
The life of a traveling journeyman
Traveling journeymen wear a special clothing that identifies them as such. These include, among other things, a black hat, wide-leg trousers and a collarless white shirt. An important utensil is the “Charlottenburger”, a square cloth for personal items and tools. The rules for traveling are strict: young journeymen are only allowed to take portable belongings with them and have to introduce themselves to the guild or drinking master in foreign cities.
In addition to the traditional rules, there are also mysterious rituals, such as going to the mayor of new cities to preserve the honor of the craft. Despite the decline in the number of participants - less than 0.5 percent of newly qualified craftsmen in Germany do a waltz these days - the fascination for hiking remains alive.
Like the craft itself, the tradition of traveling lives on: journeymen adhere to centuries-old customs and wear their special equipment with pride. This allows you to impressively understand the connection between modern carpentry and the roots of the craft. An exciting way to maintain the old values of craftsmanship.
The celebrations in Cologne offered not only the newly qualified journeymen, but also the already experienced guild members the opportunity to exchange ideas in a friendly atmosphere and to warmly welcome the newcomers into the community. It was a day full of memories and exciting hopes for the future.
Information about traditions and travel forms a comprehensive picture of the carpentry trade. Further details can be found on Baumitholz.de, holzbau-deutschland.de and planet-wissen.de.