Handwerkskunst!

Thomas-Maria Schmidt from Höheischweiler in the Palatinate is no stranger to his trade. On the contrary: he is regarded as one of the best blacksmiths in Germany. No wonder he and his art are in demand throughout the region. His current commission is to forge a large gate for the interior of the Catholic church in Contwig. And it's quite something. It is to be more than two meters wide and over three meters high - beautiful, simple, graceful, unique. The question is: how does it work? How do you actually make a gate like this? The film shows it: from the initial consultations with the architect of the Speyer diocese to the measurements, the first drawings, the delivery of the material and the actual forging process, right through to the assembly and installation in the church. The work took six days - craftsmanship at its finest.

Who actually knows how to weave a basket? What do you need to know? How much skill do you need? And how much time - the time to weave it and also the time to show how it's done? In the “Craftsmanship” series, SWR television lets its viewers participate in the creation of a special basket and shows images that will stay with them. Its name: “Hüftschmeichler”. It is a shopping basket that hugs the hips, individual and unique. Its maker from Kindenheim in the Palatinate is Monika Nickel-Stein, 40 years young and a master basket weaver. She combines old, traditional craftsmanship with new, modern, sometimes quirky ideas - like the one for the beautiful, crooked shopping basket.

“Good bread takes time,” says master baker Günther Weber, describing one of the most important ingredients in his art: time. His wood-fired bread takes around 20 hours from the first sourdough to the crispy loaf. In the program, time is taken to accompany the most important processes in peace and quiet: How can you tell that a dough is good? When does it become “stubborn”? What role does salt actually play? And why is the almost 40-ton wood-fired oven the secret boss in the bakery? “Craftsmanship” about a sensitive mixture of flour, water, salt, yeast, patience and experience - or: ”How to bake really good bread”

Shoes are a reflection of our status. They used to be expensive; children often walked barefoot or in clogs and only received their first pair after they had grown up, which had to last a long time. Today, shoes are more affordable, but sustainability often goes unnoticed. As the saying goes: “I'm too poor to buy cheap shoes.” Handmade bespoke shoes accompany their wearer for years or decades. There are only around 100 traditional shoemakers left in Germany. The Zwick brothers from Pirmasens run a shoe factory where Benno Zwick makes bespoke shoes using traditional craftsmanship. Although machines make some work steps easier and reduce costs, the focus is still on craftsmanship. We follow the creation of a pair of shoes from the idea to the finished product and learn a lot about the craftsman's ethos, high-quality leather, techniques and the advantages of handmade shoes - a statement against the throwaway society, beneficial for foot health and meaningful about the wearer.