Clockmaker
A theoretical and technical introduction to one of the most important trades in the pre-industrial Black Forest.
| Grades: | 5th to 10th grade | ||
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| Duration: | 120 minutes | ||
| German price: | € 13,00 per pupil | ||
| Price for other languages: | € 13,50 per pupil | ||
| No. of participants: | at least 12 pupils per group | ||
| Languages: | German | English | French |
| Practical part: | Clock design | ||
The world-famous Black Forest clocks come from the remote mountain forests where winters were once almost twice as long as summers. On the lonely heights, people supplemented their meager income from agriculture with woodturning, coopering or carving. Particularly gifted inventors soon mastered the feat of building clocks entirely out of wood.
With the refinement and further development of these simple predecessors, Black Forest clocks became a popular and surprisingly widespread article of commerce in the 18th century.
Sophisticated trade connections carried watches from the Black Forest to beyond the European continent. In order to meet the demand, a division of labor had to be introduced. Soon there were specialists who made the movement and others who made the case. Finally, a third branch took care of the painting of the characteristic clock plates.
| Practical part: |
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| The students grind, paint the dial and, depending on their taste and ingenuity, design their own watch plate. Finally, a real movement is installed so that everyone goes home with a watch that is guaranteed to be unique and functional. |
