Werra ceramics
Under Werra ceramic refers to the characteristic, always decorated colorfully, since the 16th century in the Werra region - Werra-Meissner and Wartburgkreis product - pottery .
Production centers
The farm ceramics produced in the Werra region developed thanks to favorable trade relations since the 17th century and found a first national center in Wanfried . The north Hessian city supplied large parts of northern Germany and the port city of Bremen with the ceramics produced in the hinterland (e.g. Großalmerode ) via the Weser . From then on, Werra ceramics reached the coastal regions of the New England states and the Dutch colonies in East Asia. The economic success of the pottery trade quickly led to an expansion of the production sites into the Gerstung area. The main reason was the extremely cheap and safe transport route using wooden rafts on the Werra. Representative works by potters in the Gerstung region from the period 1820 to 1920 were collected in the Gerstung Museum and are there in the permanent exhibition. The Gerstungen pottery guild, founded in 1656, had 34 workshops in its heyday around 1860, 15 of them in Großensee and eight in Gerstungen.
Motif choice
Decorative patterns and plant ornaments were applied in powerful colors to the red or yellowish body, and efforts were made to allow the colors to melt slightly in the background during the firing process. Around 1750, in addition to the flower motifs, there were depictions of animals, people, castles, churches and scenes from everyday farming and craftsmanship, often supplemented with a motto or the year. Particularly beautiful pieces were created for weddings, births, baptisms and similar festive occasions.
Sayings
The following selection of sayings was compiled in Großalmerode.
- Old Thalers, young women / are the best pastimes.
- Pork with a broth / Can be eaten late and early.
- Beautiful maidens are created / in front of soldiers and not in front of priests.
- Where peace and unity rule / the whole house is adorned.
- Envy and hatred / rules in all streets.
- Love in honor / no one can refuse.
- To love and not have / Is harder than digging a stone.
- There is still room in heaven / For me and my darling.
- The wine grows on the vines, / It must be married once.
- I would rather live single / Than give the woman the pants.
- Dear man, don't be so angry '/ I want to cook you good dumplings'.
- The roast is in the oven hole, / dear darling go and get it.
- What pleases me / God arranged.
- Three flowers on the stem / You are my dear angel.
- Fish, birds and trout / the potters like to eat.
- This plate is not made of pewter / If it breaks, it's gone.
Decline
Until the First World War , the pottery was also sold overland by so-called "tile carriers" in a wide area from house to house. In the cities it was already despised as poor people's dishes around 1900 and replaced by industrially manufactured enamelled tinware and porcelain. The rapid decline ended in 1952 when the last master potter in Großensee, Karl Taubert, announced his business. Today there is a pottery at Creuzburg Castle that is again producing ceramics in this traditional style.
literature
- Heinrich Hampe: The pottery in Oberrode an der Werra In: Sydekum-Schriften zur Geschichte der Stadt Münden, Heft 5, Hannoversch Münden 1981, 84S.
- Grohne, Ernst: Clay vessels in Bremen since the Middle Ages ... In: Annual publications of the Focke Museum Bremen, Bremen 1940, p. 63–70
Individual evidence
- ^ Naumann, Joachim (ed.): Masterpieces of Hessian pottery art . Wanfrieder earthenware around 1600. Catalogs from the State Art Collections Kassel, Gutenberg (Melsungen) 1974.
- ^ Museum of Thuringian Folklore (Ed.): Thuringian Ceramics (prospectus for the permanent exhibition) . On the history of Thuringian ceramics and the manufacturing techniques. Progress printer, Erfurt 1986, p. 16 .
- ^ Otto Kleim: Heimatkunst and Großalmeröder plate sayings . In: Hessenland, magazine for Hessian history, folklore and local studies, literature and art. Printed and published by Friedrich Scheel, Kassel 1912, p. 385-387 .
