Old craft

Broom maker: one of the last of his guild

Engelbert Mischkounig puts a lot of passion into his old craft.

(Bild: Arbeiter Dieter)

Engelbert Mischkounig has been keeping houses and gardens clean with his brooms and rakes for many decades. The man from Köttmannsdorf is one of the last broom and rake makers in Carinthia. The "Krone" paid a visit to the over 80-year-old.

Engelbert Mischkounig's every move is perfect when he works on new brooms and rakes in his workshop. And that's no wonder. After all, the 80-year-old has been working with wood since he was a child. "Back then, I was a 'Halterbua' and used to decorate hazelnut sticks with my knife," says the former farmer in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper.

In addition to farming, the passion remained
The family man discovered broom and rake making at the age of 20. "Knowledgeable neighbors were my teachers and showed me how to make brooms and rakes properly," says the 80-year-old, who actually wanted to become a carpenter. And that took time. Because making them was a science in itself.

Mischkounig also first had to learn how to obtain the material. Because it depends on the right time to harvest the wood. And that is why the birch brushwood used to make the brooms is stored on the Köttmannsdorf farm. Everything is neatly labeled with the harvest date. The wood for the rake beam for drying is also piled up there.

The Köttmannsdorfer has been making rakes and brooms for many decades.

(Bild: Arbeiter Dieter)

Making rakes with ancient tools
And finally, Mischkounig takes us into his workshop. You won't find any machines there. "All you need to make a rake is a wainwright's hoe, a handsaw, a hammer and an almost 200-year-old hole punch for the rake teeth," says the passionate craftsman.

To get a change of pace between making brooms and rakes, the 80-year-old also makes walking sticks.

And Mischkounig only thinks about stopping "when his health no longer allows it."