One of the last of her guild: visiting the Heilbrunn hand weaver Christa Richter

Created: 12/16/2022, 7:00 p.m

By: Elena Royer

Christa Richter at her loom.

© Arndt Pröhl

Christa Richter's loom is probably around 100 years old.

The 76-year-old hand weaver from Hohenbirken near Bad Heilbrunn loves her work and is not yet thinking about quitting.

Bad Heilbrunn – A rhythmic, loud clacking fills the room as Christa Richter sits down at the loom and uses the steps.

She moves the ancient wood back and forth, on which generations have sat before her.

You can already guess what is going on here: a fluffy, light-blue carpet.

Christa Richter is one of the last hand weavers in Bavaria

Christa Richter is one of the last hand weavers in Bavaria.

The 76-year-old comes from near Dresden and grew up in the former GDR.

Today she lives with her husband in Hohenbirken near Bad Heilbrunn.

"After graduating from high school, I did an apprenticeship as a hand weaver out of anger," she says.

"Actually, I wanted to study weaving at the art college." But in order to be able to study at the University of Applied Arts in Halle, one would have had to join the SED, which was out of the question for Richter.

"Studying would have been my direction," she says today.

"But then I preferred to do an apprenticeship."

"In addition to carpets, bank cushions are the most popular in Upper Bavaria"

Richter came to Hohenbirken in the mid-1980s.

She was also able to continue her profession here: "In Benediktbeuern there was already a small barracks near the monastery before the war," says Richter.

"A master weaver worked there and when he retired I took over his workshop with all the equipment and materials."

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The 76-year-old estimates that there is hardly an apartment in Benediktbeuern that doesn't have a carpet from her.

“In addition to carpets, bank cushions are the most popular in Upper Bavaria,” says Richter.

In the GDR, on the other hand, it was tablecloths.

"I delivered 50 pieces to the State Art Collection every two weeks," she says.

"That was my merit."

Richter's carpets even went as far as the USA

In Benediktbeuern, a particularly large number of holidaymakers, but also locals, would have liked to shop with her.

Richter's carpets went as far as Holland, Belgium and even the USA.

When the barracks in Benediktbeuern were demolished in 2000, Richter moved to her house in Hohenbirken with her looms.

Today, she looks back fondly on her work in Benediktbeuern.

Holidaymakers often looked over her shoulder while weaving.

"School classes also visited me," says the 76-year-old.

“I showed each group how to weave for about half an hour.

The children were always very open.”

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The oldest of their looms is probably 100 years old

Richter has four looms at home today.

"The oldest is definitely 80 to 100 years old," she says.

So it's not surprising that sometimes something breaks.

Recently, a cog on the loom that Richter uses to tighten the threads broke off.

This was particularly annoying because the carpet, commissioned by a customer, was almost finished.

"Fortunately, my husband helped me," explains the 76-year-old.

Because spare parts or repair instructions are of course non-existent for the old looms.

Today there are not many who master hand weaving.

"Many may not even know that it exists," Richter suspected.

In addition, it is a rather slow craft.

Weaving is “hard physical work”

"Weaving should get more attention again," says the 76-year-old.

Because since the pandemic, her business has been as good as idle.

"Things like that fit in well here in the farmhouses in the area." For Richter, the advantages of hand-woven pieces compared to carpets or tablecloths off the rack are obvious: "Made to measure is possible, you have an endless choice of colors and you know which materials are used will."

Although hand weaving is "hard physical work" and "an enormous effort", as Richter herself says, she loves it.

"I think the best thing is that you can get creative yourself." That's also the reason why the 76-year-old doesn't think about quitting.

"I'm glad I can continue and I'm happy to take orders," she says.

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.