A beautiful German tradition

BARBERTON – While driving through the rainy streets of Barberton on Saturday, I saw two young men dressed in what looked to me like Amish attire.
Upon closer inspection and having spoken to them, I understood that it was not Amish at all. On Monday morning I met their fellow traveller too.

Heinrich Drechsel (25), Ansgar Búscher (21) and Kevin Tilgner (26) are three very courageous young men from Germany who, as part of their tradition, are travelling the world to become masters in their respective trades. They belong to a brotherhood called the Freie Vogtländer Deutschland, consisting of a federation of construction workers like carpenters, masons, roofers, bricklayers, concrete workers and builders. This guild, called WAL (journey) is 800 to 900 years old.

Problems arose when the masters of the trade spoke to the labourers. The Roman Catholic Church immediately suspected a conspiracy and forbade the masters of the trade to speak freely.
The result was that artists as well as other workers united, asking permission from the masters of the trade to join a secret union. Out of this, the Freie Vogtländer was founded in 1910 and to this day acts as a brotherhood for craftsmen with wanderlust. The Freemasons developed out of the guild of these trades.

After completing their three years’ study, the men who want to become masters, have to leave home, family and friends and travel the world. They may have no contact with anyone during this time. Cellphones and Internet are not allowed, but they may write letters, by hand, to those at home.

However, before they can embark on this journey of becoming a master of their trade, they have to prove that they are unmarried, debt-free, need to be a member of the union and have been educated in one of the above-mentioned craft areas.

The travel time of a Freie Vogt is at least three years. During this time he has to advance technically, mentally and contribute to the world through honesty and consideration for fellow men. During the journey, the wandering friends should also acquaint themselves with the traditions and working practices of other nations and people. They have to maintain, under all circumstances, the traditions and craft customs of their own brotherhood.

Freie Vogtländer hostels are scattered all over the world, but mostly in Germany. In these hostels, the young travellers always have the opportunity to share experiences.

The clothes they wear are part of the tradition. The eight buttons on the front of their waistcoats symbolise the eight hours they have to work each day. The six buttons on their jackets, three on each side, are symbolic of the six workdays of the week and those on their cuffs, three on each side, represent their three years of study and three years of travel. The youngest of them, Ansgar, lacks the buttons on his lapels that Heinrich and Tilgner have. From what I could gather, Ansgar is not part of the same brotherhood, but of one called Frei Reisende and he has to travel for three years.

While in Barberton, they’ve met up with fellow countryman, Martin Wolber, who has been resident in Barberton for a few years. He says he has taken them under his wing.

Heinrich, Ansgar and Tilgner would have left for Cape Town today, but after Barberton Times set up a meeting between them and Andrea Botha of Friends of the Barberton Daisy on Monday, their plans might still change.
They have been offered a job on the Queens River hiking trail by Botha, to repair the hut and build bridges. Friends of the Barberton Daisy are in dire need of funds for these repairs and building and have requested Barberton businesses to help sponsor the costs involved.
This is being undertaken to give the tourist trade a boost. Andrea Botha can be contacted on 079-180-1488.

It was truly a privilege to have met young people still passionate about their traditions. May all the roads you travel in this country be constructive so that you may take back positive stories of sunny South Africa and its friendly people.