In the Fraunhofer Straße, not far from the centre in Munich’s Glockenbachviertel, at number 31 there is a door with lots of bell signs, so that one suspects that this is another residential building. The old building is inconspicuous, the door massive. If you have never been here before, you will feel like an intruder for a short time when your hand is on the door handle.
If you dare to look behind it, you will enter a seemingly forgotten, 150-year-old courtyard. Behind another door, just straight ahead you will find a former bronze foundry, mostly in its original state, which today serves as the studio of the jewellery makers of WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN.
While “handmade” is used in an almost inflationary way, here the pieces are actually manufactured in-house from A-Z. You only discover the fine details when you hold a piece in your hand. Every single part, every fastener, every button is specially developed, manufactured and assembled. Highest precision craftsmanship with traditional tools, often specially developed in house, is the key to jewelry that combines function, meaning and beauty.
After his education as a gold- and silversmith Klaus Lohmeyer founded WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN in 1996. His motivation: to touch people with timeless and at the same time modern pieces of jewelry that are comfortable to wear. Over the years WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN has developed a whole range of leather accessories, starting with bracelets, belts, purses and bags, which are completely hand-sewn from vegetable leathers tanned especially for WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN. A 15-person team of artists, designers and craftsmen work closely together here to handle the many tasks involved.
On a rugged rope workbench you will find simple, often reduced rings, bracelets and necklaces – inspired by subculture, music and nature – all telling a story. In between, table wear, on which you can see every hammer mark, and special leather accessories with silver details.
Even if it’s not Motörhead playing up and down in the studio, you can always feel a touch of rock’n’roll here. And one could imagine the one or other protagonist as a wearer of WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN jewelry.
WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN is among many other manufacturers, retailers and restaurants part of Munich “Handmade Quality”. The guide is our latest book out of the Makers Bible series. A compact city guide in pocket book format, which leads to handmade, genuine and passionate quality in Munich.
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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Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, design furniture that straddles two worlds. A pair of artists who create with an emphasis not only on function, but different ways of living,...
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Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, design furniture that straddles two worlds. A pair of artists who create with an emphasis not only on function, but different ways of living, and who use space while twisting on traditional forms.
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Traditional Portuguese crafts meet contemporary design in a collection that reinterprets traditional patterns in monochrome. Collaborating with a 200-year-old pottery, the collection showcases hand-painted designs with modern terracotta patterns.
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Traditional Portuguese crafts meet contemporary design in a collection that reinterprets traditional patterns in monochrome. Collaborating with a 200-year-old pottery, the collection showcases hand-painted designs with modern terracotta patterns.
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Twisted Nut Butter, a Berlin-based nut butter company, has introduced uniquely roasted flavors like a coffee bean to the world of spreads. Their vegan, handmade products include peanut, almond, hazelnut,...
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Twisted Nut Butter, a Berlin-based nut butter company, has introduced uniquely roasted flavors like a coffee bean to the world of spreads. Their vegan, handmade products include peanut, almond, hazelnut, and chocolate hazelnut butter, offering a quirky and innovative twist
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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