Thomas Bochsbichler (master stove fitter) and his apprentice Kilian
There they are, the two of them. Kilian and Thomas, apprentice and master. Both are not great speakers, not Kilian and not Thomas. They are concentrating on the object that is calling for them. Nothing hudriwudri, but carefully, step by step. And you can even sense a touch of respect for the artistry and skill of previous generations in the air. Thomas has a lot of fun inspecting and restoring these historic stoves.
His apprentice Kilian started his apprenticeship with him in September 2022, more precisely his apprenticeship as a potter. At PTS Bad Ischl, he “stumbled” across the job profile. Somehow he got curious about it, he tells us. So he researched independently about the type and profile of the profession and possible training companies in his area. His research brought him to Thomas Bochsbichler, Ebensee master potter specializing in the restoration of historic stoves. He landed in the right place. Because Thomas is one of those craftsmen who like to pass on what they know and can do to the next generation in order, as Thomas explains somewhat cryptically, to “give something back”.
For years he had waited in vain for requests for training. When Kilian called him, he was happy. Since then, the two have been on exciting construction sites. Still at work in a farmhouse from the 17th century, where the soot of the former Rauchkuchl is still visible, to remove the sky-blue tiled stove from the 19th century, which is to be put new and functional after the renovation... a few days later in the oldest residential building in Ischl, also from the 17th century, where a magnificent example of heating culture awaits a "general overhaul".
Kilian learns something from Thomas that has been taken for granted for thousands of years, has been dismissed as a discontinued model in recent years and is suddenly considered very contemporary again: using resources instead of wasting them and knowing how to help one another when the global model falters again. Nobody can take away from him what Kilian learns from him.
But now we can't stop and distract them any longer, they're just numbering the sky blue tiles and we don't want to cause any confusion.
