Wood turners from all over the world meet in Olbernhau

Turners from all over the world will be letting the wood shavings fly this weekend in Olbernhau. Around 2000 woodturning enthusiasts are expected to attend, according to organizer Martin Steinert from the Erzgebirge Woodturning Centre. They come not only from Saxony, but also from other regions of Germany and abroad - from Hawaii and Australia as well as Belgium, Great Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic.

"The fascination of woodturning lies in the interplay between technique and design," explained Steinert. Different techniques will be demonstrated at the meeting. Filigree figures as well as bowls with a diameter of two meters are turned there - ultimately everything that can be clamped on a lathe.

The focus is on exchanging ideas with each other. There will also be lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions and a tool fair. There will also be presentations by woodturning institutions. Other craft techniques involving wood can also be found, such as traditional hoop turning.

The craft is widespread in Saxony

Turning is widespread in Saxony and especially in the Ore Mountains - among professional wooden toy makers and artisans as well as hobby craftspeople. Many of the figures that adorn Christmas parlors every year were created on woodturning lathes: Nutcrackers and incense smokers as well as angel and miner figures.

This type of woodworking once developed in different places around the world, explained Steinert. This is how different techniques were developed. The meeting itself, which is held at a different location every two years, originated from an internet forum in which woodturning enthusiasts exchanged ideas, explained the expert. At that time, the desire arose to meet outside of the virtual world. The first woodturning forum meeting took place in Munich in 2007.

This year's venue is the historic Saigerhütte site. It is considered an important historical site of metallurgy and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Mining Region. Therefore, there will also be demonstrations of sawing as it was done 400 years ago. The meeting is open not only to woodturners themselves, but also to onlookers and interested visitors.