{"id":9,"date":"2018-10-05T15:29:53","date_gmt":"2018-10-05T15:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeancraftorganization.com\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2022-04-06T16:33:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T16:33:12","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/europeancraftorganization.com\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

The history of our Organization does not start with its foundation in 1972, but actually with the \u2018birth\u2019 of the Schweizer Heimatwerk<\/strong>. During the big economic crises of the thirties politicians tied to find new ways for an extra income for farmers, for instance as making traditional handicraft to be sold in the wealthier town areas. It was known that Scandinavian countries had already institutions in this kind of field.<\/p>\n

Mr \u00a0Dr. Ernst Laur, the later manager of the Schweizer Heimatwerk travelled \u00a0in 1930 to visit Haandarbejdets Fremme (DK), Husflieden (N), Hemsl\u00f6jdn (S)<\/strong> to study the already existing Scandinavian organizations. He came home with a lot of good ideas. With a grant of the Swiss State already a shop was opened in Z\u00fcrich the same year. Furthermore local courses were planned to improve the know how in making good crafts.<\/p>\n

The friendship with the Scandinavian countries was steadily deepend and relations built up to Bavaria and Austria. The later \u2018borrowed\u2019 the name Heimatwerk <\/strong>from Switzerland. The leader in the team became Prof, Dr. Franz Lipp<\/strong> a competent \u2018Folkskundler\u2019 in crafts, national dresses, songs and traditional dancing. He became the first President of the European Folk Art and Craft Federation<\/strong>. But before came a difficult period. The growing national socialistic movements had similar targets as the upcoming crafts organizations e.g. back to the national roots.<\/p>\n

But slowly, after the Second World War old friendships war taken up again, particularly between Prof. Dr. Franz Lipp and Albert Wettstein, the new director oft the Schweizer Heimatwerk. <\/strong>He also was very engaged in all forms of traditional culture and a very active PR man. But he also gained interested in new forms of crafts. He became the first \u00a0Secretary General.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1968 a conference of representatives of country organizations took place at the Heimatwerk School in Richterswil (CH)<\/strong>, an education center for advances crafts. Major important aspects of a possible cooperation on the European level were sorely discussed. But there came a certain resistance against an European Federation from the side of board members in the different country organizations. (Concentration on national problems, costs of meetings\u2026)<\/p>\n

Newer the less on the 27th<\/sup> 1972 (35 years ago)<\/strong> the first statutes<\/strong> were signed by\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sweden:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ingrid Oswald-Jakobsson,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gunnel Hazelius-Berg<\/p>\n

Austria: Prof. Dr. Franz Lipp, HelmuthHuemer<\/p>\n

Switzerland Dr. Agnes Laur , Albert Wettstein<\/p>\n

Elected were: Pr\u00e4sident: Mr. Prof. Dr. Franz Lipp<\/p>\n

Secretary General Mr\u00a0 Albert Wettstein<\/p>\n

The first member countries were: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sardinia, Switzerland.<\/p>\n

Exchange experiences, learn from each other<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The first meeting after the foundation of the Federation was in Sassari, Sardinia (1975)<\/strong>. Dr. Luigi Lao gave us the opportunity to get to know his local organisation under the name I.S.O.L.A. with its shops, the show room and the permanent exhibition. We also visited the production plants for hand woven carpets with the attached training centres.<\/p>\n

The second \u00a0Conference was in the North, partly in Copenhagen partly in G\u00f6teborg in 1978<\/strong>. It was an opportunity to learn a lot about the promotion of handicraft in the Scandinavian countries, particularly at Haandarbejdets Fremme<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Schweizer Heimatwerk invited to its 50th<\/sup> anniversary to Z\u00fcrich and Stein am Rhein in 1980. <\/strong>For this occasion A. Wettstein collected about 200 objects financed by the Swiss Department of Culture. This exhibition later was shown in the passed years in the following countries of the Federation: Austria (Krems), Norway (Oslo), Finland (Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4), Slovakia (Bratislava). It was an example for good a PR instrument for the country shown also in over sea: Huston, Montreal, Cairo, Alexandria, Rom.<\/p>\n

In 1985 Arvi Pappinen, <\/strong>the next president, <\/strong>invited to a conference in \u00a0Helsinki. <\/strong>It was an interesting confrontation for us of traditional and modern Finnish design in the same shops. In all this was a new impulse for all participants..<\/p>\n

In the subsequent period a general recession created serious problems in craft shops in nearly all member countries.. Sales dropped at remain costs. We decided to invite shortly to a working meeting in Malm\u00f6 in 1987. <\/strong>We exchanged economic comparison data, which stimulated actions to increase the efficiency of hour sales sectors.<\/p>\n

The meeting in D\u00fcrnstein near Krems\/A in 1988<\/strong> was an impressive event. Two relative near cultures met in a wonderful rich baroque convent near the Danube: Austria and Switzerland. Each country brought a full exhibition of traditional craft objects. Further more crafts people of both cultures were present and showed their practical skill in different fields. As well traditional music bands were with us for the festivities. \u2013 The Swiss delegation also brought a TV team. It made a 30 minute film about the great event.<\/p>\n

Common European projects<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the years of 1984-86 the fist common project<\/strong> was implemented. It had two elements a travelling exhibition<\/strong> and a complementary book.<\/p>\n

Eight countries sent representative objects for their traditional and modern crafts: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. All these countries showed the exhibition within a period of 2 years. The project was in practice difficult to implement due to custom regulations.<\/p>\n

Parallel to the exhibitor a book with 400 pages in 5 languages, size 21 x 21 cm with 160 excellent photos was issued by the editor Carlo Delfino, Sassari, Sardinia.<\/p>\n

First time the exhibition was shown in Cagliari in 1984 <\/strong>in a very elegant modern exhibition centre.<\/p>\n

The conception of this common project was good but actually a bit too big for our Federation. We therefore were looking for a smaller version and to print fewer books, because they did not sell too well. The conclusion was: we follow the same, conception, but concentrate on traditional jewellery. Following this line the object shown could be packed into one big bag. The book had only 175 pages.<\/p>\n

The exhibition was shown first in Cagliari, Sardinia and in Pordenone, Veneto in 1989 <\/strong>with much local publicity. The later presentations found much interest in other countries of the Federation.<\/p>\n

Intensive Cooperation, New members<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The common activities brought good contacts within the Federation and made conferences livelier. The next one was in 1991 in <\/strong>\u00a0Oslo where The Oslo Husflid Forening<\/strong> invited to the 100 year anniversary. Also a fine fashion show about Norwegian knit wear was offered.<\/p>\n

But important for the Federation was the opening to the East. Hungary with ARTEX<\/strong> became member and a representative from Tschechoslowakia<\/strong> was present.<\/p>\n

In this period the new Logo<\/strong> of the Federation was presented and accepted.<\/p>\n

In 1993<\/strong> for a second time we had a conference in Firenze (<\/strong>the first one in 1989\/) were we have been always very welcome as guests of Marco Tullio Vezani the manager and owner of \u2018Florenz Gift Market\u2019. We had there small meetings of coordination (subjects: export, UNESCO support, NEWS<\/strong> a new internal communication instrument, new members).<\/p>\n

Exiting was the first trip to the \u2018East\u2019 with a conference. In the summer 1994<\/strong> we followed the invitation of Hungary<\/strong> to get to know their national traditions. (Crafts, music and dancing). At the meeting a main topic was: How to gain new members? Estland. Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Tschechien Republic <\/strong>were discussed)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Again a Swiss TV team was with us. We received copies of the film.<\/p>\n

The great event of the meeting was to take up the following new members:<\/p>\n

Estonia, Slovakia, Spain<\/strong><\/p>\n

Already in Hungary Hans K\u00f6hl<\/strong> invited us to Salzburg \u00a0for 1996 <\/strong>for the celebration of the Jubilee of \u201e50 years Salzburger Heimatwerk\u201c. It was a great event with two impressive concerts and a reception with interesting speeches about the history of the Heimatwerk in this lovely old town. In our meeting apart from the general programme, we discussed the following topics:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 – the Heimatwerk Organisations in the recession
\n– targets of the Federation
\n– mutual Projects<\/p>\n

At the conference in Tallinn in 1997<\/strong> the President of the Federation\u00a0 Dr. Luigi Lao, was handling for \u00a0the last time in this function, he was retiring after 9 years.<\/p>\n

In the following elections all delegates present voted for Irene Vestlund to become the new president and Dr. Georg Kellner vice president. With thanks for his long and excellent services Dr. Lao was elected Honorary President.<\/p>\n

During the conference 5 excellent papers were presented and discussed:<\/p>\n