In the famine of 1816, wood turner Christian Fischer from Brienz started decorating goods with wood carvings and selling them to tourists. In order to meet growing demand he soon began teaching the skill to people from the region. In 1851, Brienz woodcarving achieved international recognition at the London Exposition. "Brienz Woodcarving School" was founded in 1884, becoming an educational institution and official training workshop of the canton of Bern in 1928. Now known as the "School of Woodcarving", the institution is the only place in Switzerland where young people can learn the art of woodcarving. Since 2009 the school has also provided vocational training for new turners, basket makers, coopers and white-wood coopers. Today, professional woodcarvers run independent businesses, fulfilling demanding contracts but also producing souvenirs, since the ties between woodcarving and tourism remain strong after two hundred years despite various attempts at diversification. Because the products and the historical and practical knowledge of woodcarving are threatened by the changing generations, the "Association for the Collection and Exhibition of Brienz Woodcarvings" was established in 1990, in turn establishing the "Swiss Woodcarving Museum" in 2009.
Andreas Baumann (1812–1890): Jewellery case, ca 1890 (limewood, 17.5 cm high) © Berner Design Stiftung
Johann Huggler (1834–1912): Melchthal group, 1898 (walnut, 40 cm high) © Berner Design Stiftung
Christian Fischer (1789-1848): William Tell, ca 1820-1830 (maple, 35.5 cm high) and dairymaid, ca 1830-1840 (pear wood, 38.5 cm high) © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
Entrance to the School of Woodcarving in Brienz: A life-size tourist, carved by a student in 2006 (raw limewood, 170 cm high) © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
Brienz, 2003: A student at the School of Woodcarving © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
Figurine, student’s work, 2010 (painted limewood, 30 cm high) © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
Three reliefs with plants, student’s work, 2004 (stained limewood, 60 cm high) © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
From the stock of teachers’ drawings at the School of Woodcarving in Brienz, dating from around 1900 © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
Woodcarver with his work, Schwanden near Brienz, ca 1960 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
Woodcarver with his work, Schwanden near Brienz, ca 1960 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
Woodcarver with his work, Brienz, ca 1965 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
Woodcarver with his work, Schwanden near Brienz, ca 1963 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
Woodcarver with his work, Brienz, ca 1968 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
Woodcarver with his work, Brienz, ca 1963 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
Woodcarver with his work, Schwanden near Brienz, ca 1960 © Peter Ernst, Brienz/Stiftung Holzbildhauerei
An old woodcarver from the Brienz region making salad servers, ca 1900 © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
The old School of Woodcarving in Brienz: Furniture carved by students, ca 1900 © Schule für Holzbildhauerei Brienz
Sculpture «The Bull» by the Mongolian artist Dorjsuren Lkhagvadorj at the Brienz Symposium on Woodcarving (Brienz, 2017) © Internationales Holzbildhauer Symposium Brienz
Visitors of the Brienz Symposium observing the sculpture «Organic-correspondences» by the artist Friedemann Dietzel from Dresden (Brienz, 2017) © Internationales Holzbildhauer Symposium Brienz
The sculptures are nearly ready – impression of the Brienz Symposium (Brienz, 2017) © Internationales Holzbildhauer Symposium Brienz
Ready for the closing event – impression of the Brienz Symposium (Brienz, 2017) © Internationales Holzbildhauer Symposium Brienz
Rolf Blöchlinger at the Brienz Symposium (Brienz, 2017) © Internationales Holzbildhauer Symposium Brienz
Sculpture by Markus Flück, work with chainsaw and chisel, 2015 © Markus Flück
Pupils of the second year sculpting portraits at the Woodcarving School in Brienz, 2016 © Markus Flück
Katrin Conrad in the renovated part of the Woodcarving School in Brienz, 2016 © Markus Flück
Detailed description
Brienzer Holzschnitzerei (PDF, 442 kB, 04.06.2018)Ausführliche Beschreibung
Category
Canton
Further information
Publications
Jay Arenski: Swiss carvings. The art of the «Black Forest», 1820-1940. Ed. Antique Collectors' Club. Woodbridge, 2008
Peter Flück: Der Holzbildhauer. Chronologie eines Kunsthandwerks (Schnitzlerschule Brienz von 1884-1984. Ausstellung im Kornhaus Bern, vom 28. Januar bis 4. März 1984). Bern, 1984
Peter Flück: Kantonale Schnitzlerschule Brienz, 1884-1984. Brienz, 1984
Max Gygax: Werden und Vergehen einer Schnitzlerdynastie. In: Jahrbuch vom Thuner- und Brienzersee 1995. Ed. Uferschutzverband Thuner- und Brienzersee. Matten-Interlaken, 1995, p. 97-109
Max Gygax: Wie Brienz zum Schnitzlerdorf wurde. In: Heimatbuch Brienz 1999. Ed. Kulturfondskommission Einwohnergemeinde Brienz. Brienz, 1999, p. 113-120
Erich Schild: Arbeiten für drei Franken fünfzig im Tag. Wie lebte eine Schnitzlerfamilie Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts? In: Der Brienzer, 1. Mai 2001
Schweizer Holzbildhauerei Museum: Über uns und unsere Arbeit. Brienz, 2010
Links
Keywords
Contact
Holzbildhauer Verband Schweiz HVS
3855
Brienz