Wood turners from all over the world meet in Olbernhau

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.