was awarded the bronze medal at
the World Exposition in Vienna. After that, the craftsmen of Erbach busied
themselves making statues.
Descendants of Count Franz I founded the town's School of Ivory Carving in 1892 and local museums are rich with examples of carvings of buttons, tools
and implements, statues and even billiard balls.
In 1945, members of the Ivory Carvers Guild moved on to carving amber (which
is not actually a stone as many people think, but rather fossilized resins
from evergreens extinct for some 40 million years). The influence in this
movement was sculptor Jan Holschuh, who'd learned the techniques at the
Bernsteinmanufaktur (Amber Factory) in the city of Dresden.
In 1989, the import of elephant ivory into Germany was made illegal. Guild
members substituted mammoth ivory, some two tons of which are found every
year in Siberia. This allowed the art movement to continue.
If You Go:
The German Ivory Museum in Erbach (located at Otto-Glenz Str. 1) is the only museum of its kind. The museum is open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm every day, but is usually closed Novermber thru February.The most memorable display shows the entire ivory art process - from rough sketches to finished, polished statues.
Tip: If you happen to buy knick-knacks or carvings as souvenirs in any of
Erbach's shops, just ask for a certificate proving the material. You may
need it for customs.
How to Get There: It's easy to reach Erbach by rail from Frankfurt/Main or Heidelberg. Driving
by car from Frankfurt over the A9 takes about two hours. Once you're in
Erbach, you'll find numerous signs for all points of interest.
The town of Erbach offers something for all the senses. If you're able,
get out and walk. Don't miss the red sandstone palace with the gilded
figurines. You can sip cool drinks sitting in the Lustgarten (garden), then
visit the market square and explore the sandstone canal. Many tourists just
wander the alleyways to take photos of the restored half-timber houses.
Although it's way out of my price range, you can stay in a castle in
Erbach. Schloss Rheinhartshausen-Kempinski offers 54 exquisite rooms and
suites. The castle is booked well in advance. A single room goes for 275 -
1100 euro (about U.S. $424 - $1696) per night.
More information: www.tompgalvin.com
Photographs:
All photos by Alf B. Meier.
Contributor's Bio:
Alf B. Meier writes from Karpathos, a tiny Greek island in the Aegean. In the past, he has worked as a commercial photographer and a war photographer. Presently he is finishing a book.
Contact: laugh@otenet.gr
In the time of transition from the pre-industrial to the industrial era,
many backwoods areas of Europe were rapidly declining into poorhouses. In
some parts of Germany traditional skills were enforced by local dignitaries
resulting in non-competitive products, famine and misery.