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On the European Day for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, set against the impressive backdrop of the Imperial Baths in Trier, Germany, former and future participants of the Intercultural Dialogue Project for Stonemasons showed off their craft. Between the many informational booths, the small workshop served as a lively draw for many visitors. Graduate stonemason Dirk Brügemann-Bulgakov, who headed the Ukranian side of the project, was available to answer any and all questions the visitors had. The next phase of this joint project with thornconcept.eu will launch on July 18 in Lviv, Ukraine, where German and Ukranian stonemasons will once again work hand in hand.

Apprentices and master craftsmen from Yaroslavl, Russia, recently paid a visit to their German sister city Kassel. This year, the cities are celebrating the long-standing partnership between the College for Urban Planning in Yaroslavl and the Oskar-von-Miller School in Kassel with two exchange projects. Together, the plant installation technicians planned and installed a new restroom facility. A similar project is planned for Yaroslawl with the added component of accessibility. From the outset, the project was characterized by an atmosphere of friendship. This made it difficult to say goodbye – all the participants are now looking forward to seeing each other again in the fall.

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Ten apprentices three master craftsmen from Yekaterinburg in the Ural region of Russia made the trip to Neustadt an der Aisch in Germany. The young automobile mechatronics technicians were participating in a vocational school exchange program that will be completed with a trip to Yekaterinburg by their German counterparts. The group quickly bonded while working hand in hand in the workshop, getting a tour of the BMW plant and enjoying a host of leisure activities together. A particular highlight was the rapt attention and the tremendous support for the visit of the Russian group.

Three apprentice painters from the Ural College of Technology and Entrepreneurship in Russia had the opportunity to participate in a weeklong preparation course for aspiring Master Painters through the school’s exchange partnership with the vocational painters‘ school in Lahr, Germany (Badische Malerfachschule Lahr, BAMALA. During the one-week workshop, the students were tasked with processing a project in a customer-oriented way. This meant they had to handle not only the craft aspect, but also collect the needed information and calculate a project budget. Prior to their arrival, the Russian students had researched the requirements in their home country so they could have a real-world experience.

Naturally, they were particularly proud of the practical results of their work, which involved applying a special lacquer to a small side table as well as a clothes hanger. Since BAMALA offers a wide variety of techniques and materials to choose from, the exchange students learned a great deal. In spite of the focused work and the compact nature of the training, they still found time to enjoy time off in the company of their German peers and go on a few outings.

By now, it has become a tradition: Every September, stonemasonry students from Lviv visit the master craftsmen school in Kaiserslautern. Here, alongside their German counterparts, they fashion elements for the baroque terrace garden in Kirchheimbolanden, whose revitalization continues to make progress thanks to the tremendous commitment shown by many stakeholders, especially Dr. Lydia Thorn Wickert (thornconcept.eu). In addition, the young stonemasons and carvers experience a cultural enrichment program that feeds their artistic and professional interests and have the opportunity to become acquainted with institutions of civil society and democratic institutions that showcase the diversity of German society.