Side by side – working together for wood carving

Wood carving has many friends and requires countless committed partners to successfully mount attractive exhibitions, promote its value, attract visitors, hold fundraising events or even ensure regular publications.

The following organisations and partners work alongside us – we thank them!

of the Museum

Since 2001, the Association of Museums in the Canton of Berne – mmBE – has stood as a vital network for the diversity of Berne’s museum landscape. On our website, those interested in museums, museum seekers and visitors can find up-to-date information on over 135 museums and information on current or forthcoming special exhibitions.

Association of Museums in Switzerland VMS. With approximately 800 institutional members, the VMS represents the interests of the Swiss museum landscape with regard to the authorities and the public. It promotes networking among museums, sets standards and serves as a forum for ideas and the sharing of experience.

of the Foundation and Museum

The Bernese Design Foundation is a private-law, non-profit foundation for the promotion of contemporary design in the Canton of Berne. It looks after the cantonal collection of applied art.

The charming village of Brienz is surrounded by a picturesque mountain landscape at the eastern end of the turquoise-coloured Lake Brienz. Known as a woodcarving village, Brienz has a long tradition of woodworking, is the actual woodcarving centre of Switzerland and features the only national woodcarving school as well as a violin making school.

The Citizen Community of Brienz upholds the culture and soul of the village. To this end, it manages properties and land.

The Jobin Inc. manufactory in Brienz evolved from the Carl Binder Inc. company, which began producing simple utilitarian objects decorated with carvings as early as 1835. Today, the company sees itself as a modern enterprise with a history and strong roots in traditional Swiss craftsmanship. In addition to exquisite wood carvings, it also produces music boxes, mechanical musical works, pendulums and exclusive packaging.

Knives and tools are the be-all and end-all in woodcarving. Pfeil knife manufacturing builds on an old tradition of craftsmanship. The company was founded in 1902 as a knife forge in Langenthal. In the beginning, mainly professional knives and surgical instruments were manufactured and resharpened. Around 1942, the production of the first carving tools was launched. The high quality of the tools soon led to great popularity among professional carvers, but also among hobby carvers and woodcarving schools at home and abroad. Today, the family business is run by the third generation.

At the symposium, the wooden figures and sculptures bring the village and the famous quay on Lake Brienz to life. The event, which has been taking place since 2012, attracts many art lovers and is organised by the KUNA association (organisers of the Brienz Art Night). The association runs the symposium in collaboration with Brienz Tourism.

The association is committed to the further development of the profession. It promotes contact and exchange among its members, offers courses and events, represents the profession’s interests externally, enables participation in exhibitions at home and abroad and organises master classes.

The traditional company can look back on almost 200 years of history. The sculptors of this artistic dynasty have given significant impulses to wood sculpture in Brienz. Hans Huggler-Wyss (1877 – 1947), as the son of the ” King of Carvers”, carried on the family tradition and developed very innovative nativity figures, folk types and animal figures for the time, which are still part of the current range today.

The Interest Group for Wood Artisanry (IGKH) was founded as an umbrella organisation of Swiss associations of wood turners, basket makers, coopers, white coopers and wood sculptors for the joint organisation of basic and further training. It represents the interests of the member associations in dealings with the Confederation and the cantons as an organisation of the working world (OdA).

The Woodcarving School in Brienz is the only institution in Switzerland where the craft of woodcarving can be learned. It was founded in 1884 as the “Schnitzlerschule”. Since 1928 it has been a technical school and training workshop of the Canton of Berne.

The Brienz Violinmaking School is the only full-time technical school for violinmaking in Switzerland. It is a private school and was founded in 1944. The teaching enterprise is supported by the Stiftung Geigenbauschule Brienz (Brienz Violinmaking School Foundation).

At Ballenberg, Switzerland is just the way it used to be. More than 100 original, centuries-old buildings with original home decor from all parts of Switzerland. Exhibitions and demonstrations of traditional crafts, trades and customs make the past an experience, and Ballenberg unique beyond its borders.

The Building Insurance Berne (GVB) established the GVB Cultural Foundation in 2014. The GVB Cultural Foundation supports projects in the areas of culture, education, society and science with a close connection to the Canton of Berne. With the selected projects, the GVB Cultural Foundation helps to ensure that the unique quality of life in the Canton of Berne is maintained and can be further developed.

Surrounded by fragrant boards and fresh mountain air, the uncomplicated feel-good atmosphere of the Trauffer Adventure World with Bretterhotel presents itself. Not only are the famous wooden cows omnipresent, Marc and Brigitte Trauffer have created a sight worth visiting in Hofstetten. The Trauffer cow is also present in the museum, that’s for sure.