He modestly calls himself a blacksmith and metal designer. Apart from the extremely high aesthetics of his works, these alone are three reasons why Laurenz Stockner belongs in our book Makers Bible Südtirol. Because the man is not only a blacksmith, even though that is the profession he learned. No, he also had himself thoroughly taught drawing and the art of goldsmithing.
Laurenz, born in Brixen in 1971, first trained as a locksmith in Brixen and worked in this profession. Then he decided to give in to his wanderlust and had himself taught the goldsmith’s craft in Florence and southern Tuscany. Back in South Tyrol he worked for Robert Condin in Tramin – loyal readers will remember Makers Bible The Alps and the article on this webpage.
Since 2003 he has been running his own studio and workshop in St. Andrä. His artisanal work focuses on the production of driven metal bowls. For his well-known copper bowls, he draws the metal himself from the mine shafts of the historic and inactive mine nearby, in Prettnau, where he extracts the so-called Ahrntal cement copper. Commercial ore extraction was stopped here decades ago. For him, however, it is still worthwhile. Because the otherwise expensive raw material copper can be had cheaply for a start, but it also tells a unique story.
The rare art of making everything oneself
That’s why a bowl from Stockner Laurenz, for example, is one of those really rare goods that are still made in one place and exclusively by one pair of hands. We call that “a hundred percent”. Not least because of this, his work ranks as art and not as pure handicraft. No wonder that awards and exhibitions in art collections were not long in coming. He was awarded the International South Tyrolean Craftsmanship Prize and the Bavarian State Prize, among others.
If you would like to visit the gallery or the Landesmuseum Bergbau in Kasern in the Upper Ahr Valley, you can find information here. Among other things, the air in the gallery is particularly recommended for people with respiratory allergies.
By the way, the next destination in the Makers Bible Südtirol book is the Biohotel Bühelwirt.
JOURNAL. What you might want to know…
Doing something by hand can change a lot. Buying something handmade out of conviction can do the same. It changes – or has already changed – the way we think. Especially when it comes to our food. What do we buy? Who made it? What can we perhaps grow ourselves? How do our actions and decisions change, first ourselves, then our purchases, then the landscape?
Every sourdough – that culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a mixture of flour and water – is unique, like a fingerprint, because in every region there are individual bacteria in the air that give each loaf its very own flavour. One person who knows more about the infinite variety of sourdough cultures than most – whose culture is culture, so to speak – is the Belgian Karl De Smedt, keeper and archivist of Europe’s only sourdough library.
It’s virtually impossible to miss Julius Brantner Brothandwerk if you’re a fan of baked goods and find yourself in Munich. The charming Swabian baker has recently opened his second location, the first being such a success. With his team working transparently behind large glass windows, Julius strives to make “honest and trustworthy handling of all ingredients and processes accessible,” he says. Unsurprisingly, locals and tourists flock to the shopfront to sample their aromatic bread and delectable treats.
SHOP. Our latest releases….
FINDER. Find your maker…
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Chocolaterie Amelie, nestled in Garmisch-Patenkirchen, Bavaria, is a 150-square-meter chocolate paradise. The Kässer family creates bespoke chocolates, truffles, and pralines. Linus Kässer, the creative head, brings high culinary standards to...
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Chocolaterie Amelie, nestled in Garmisch-Patenkirchen, Bavaria, is a 150-square-meter chocolate paradise. The Kässer family creates bespoke chocolates, truffles, and pralines. Linus Kässer, the creative head, brings high culinary standards to production, offering a range of classic and exotic flavors. They
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Florentine Kitchen Knives (FKK), founded by Tomer Botner and Noam Blumenthal, crafts high-quality kitchen knives inspired by East and West. Known for their colorful leather-plated handles, FKK’s knives are sought...
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Florentine Kitchen Knives (FKK), founded by Tomer Botner and Noam Blumenthal, crafts high-quality kitchen knives inspired by East and West. Known for their colorful leather-plated handles, FKK’s knives are sought after by professional chefs and home cooks worldwide.
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Piccolo Seeds, established in 2012, democratizes urban gardening by offering a wide range of sustainable, pot-suited seeds for vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers. Their distinctive packaging adds a modern...
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Piccolo Seeds, established in 2012, democratizes urban gardening by offering a wide range of sustainable, pot-suited seeds for vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers. Their distinctive packaging adds a modern touch to ancient seed varieties, enabling urban dwellers to cultivate
Makers Bible Crafting Cuisine inspires those who love to spend time in the kitchen, cook with hand and heart, try new things and celebrate a
Martin Schönleitner is one of 17 fishermen at Lake Chiemsee. Together with wife Verena Stephan they both run Chiemseefischerei Stephan, a family business for 400 years. Their ancestors had started their venture at Lake Constance. For three generations (at the present site) the Stepahn family lives and fishes at Lake Chiemsee, Prien am Chiemsee to be precise.
The tailor-made suit is still considered the highest-quality and most individual version of the garment. German men’s tailors work in the awareness of covering a particularly wide range of the demands their profession places on them.
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