The "gedengeln" is still going strong—a traditional championship in Rositz

Every strike had to be precise: The nearly forgotten craft of scythe sharpening was celebrated at the second Central German Scythe Sharpening Championship in Rositz. Twenty-two competitors from Thuringia and Saxony competed to sharpen the blades of their scythes with precise hammer blows, said Ralph Cramer.

He is a member of the “Futterschroter aus dem Altenburger Land” association. The association not only organizes the scythe-sharpening championship but also, on an annual rotating basis, the Thuringian Scythe Mowing Championship. Decades ago, grain and grass were harvested with scythes—not only in Thuringia—in what was physically demanding work.

Thuringians Were the Best at Sharpening

In the sharpening competition, two Thuringians took first place—according to the organizers, Aline Albrecht won in the women’s division, and André Stephan in the men’s. They were the most skilled at handling the scythe’s head and the special scythe hammer. “We’re preserving an old craft,” said Cramer. Originally, the competition was only supposed to be advertised as the Thuringian Championship. “But word quickly spread to Saxony.” 

Few people today still know how to use a scythe professionally or how to sharpen it. “We’re mostly middle-aged to elderly—there are even people up to 80 years old,” said Cramer. But a 15-year-old also took part in the competition. 

In 2027, the Thuringian Mowing Championship will be held in Rositz on May 8, as scheduled. About 60 participants are expected to attend. Elsewhere in Thuringia, the art of using a scythe is also still practiced. Cramer mentioned mountain meadow mowing in the Neuhaus am Rennweg region.