Last Thursday we forged @Georg Agricola University of technical studies. The event was scheduled by the AStA, the student´s organisation. The pictures, except the last two ones, are courtesy of them. We set up forge and started early and soon the first students dropped by to help with a project: We forged a chain to symbolize the unity of cultural diversity at the university. We forged against racism, but primarily we forged for unity and to illustrate one fact:
The world is round;-). No use throwing nuclear bombs at each other, you´ll get to swallow the poison as well. No use hating each other, and extinguishing each other with ABC arms. If you have to kill, take blades or clubs, doesn´t do so much harm to the habitat;-). Kidding aside, in my opinion, there are no better "races" than others. There´s a multitude of ethnies on the planet, and a multitude of cultures. Some I can get along with nicely, some I can´t get along as nicely, but that´s my fault as well as that of the other culture, in fact. I might even have a conflict with this or that individual, and even questions concerning aspects of a culture. But, and that´s the culprit, there´s no such thing as a "master race".
Blacksmithing in my opinion does a lot to promote the understanding of cultures. In most any culture on the planet, there are blacksmiths of one or the other kind. Knifemaking is another matter. The knife is the one cultural property which is continuous in every country and every human culture on the planet. Making and using knives is part of our humanity, and blacksmithing is a huge part of this. Now to most people it would be a bit questionable to make knives to illustrate the unity of cultures*ggg*, so we forged a chain instead. Each visitor forged one link in the form of a double swan´s neck, big or small, eloquent or ambitious, and we as blacksmiths linked them together by a humble and simple O-link.
For Volker it was the first time ever he forged such double swan´s necks himself, and I respect him highly for the fact that he not only learned to make them in ten minutes, but also how to tutor the students into making them.
There was a steady flow of people forging with high enthusiasm, some of them very good at the work. We even met a learned blacksmith who did a most eloquent piece, of course all by himself. We had a nice chat and invited him to the smithy.
Students were having fun, obviously, and it was a great atmosphere. The weather was foul, but the forge roared red!
Then the chief chairman of the university dropped by and was enthused to make a piece all by himself, and he did quite an amazing job!
By the way, it was good to see the students making nasty comments;-) on his work, and he was paying them back with the same coin, in a friendly manner. Tells a lot about the human quality of studying at
TFH university....
After some three hours work, this is what came out: Some 2,5 m of chain, with a great diversity of styles in the work. Volker could not resist forging a snail as a link, too;-), which you can see on the anvil´s top.
All in all, a good day´s work, with friendly people and for a good cause, in my opinion. We will see if we have seen the last of it;-) but that´s another story and shall be told on another occasion.
