Intangible cultural heritage

In the 16^th century, the development of scythe peening by means of a water-powered trip hammer caused scythe manufacturing activities to shift to the riverbanks of the thickly-forested Alpine foothills. Scythe forging was of great importance particularly in Styria’s Eisenwurzen region, leading to the emergence of an accordingly specialised form of craftsmanship. Scythe forging was organised into eleven guilds, groups that shaped the craftspeople’s working lives as well as their social lives.

By around 1900, some twelve million scythes were being forged in Austria each year. But with the advent of mechanised harvesting techniques, Austria’s scythe-forging industry began to stagnate. Of the approximately 215 scythe forges that existed around 1900, only two are still in operation. Their annual production currently ranges from about 250,000 to 300,000 scythes. As in the past, hand-forming the scythe blade is the most important step in the production process. A great number of different scythe forms evolved over the centuries, corresponding to the respective conditions under which they were used. Market-specific scythes based on historical models continue to be produced—and Scythes still see wide use in food production by small farms due to the many ecological and social advantages that they offer in contrast to mechanisation. Moreover, they continue to be indispensable for work on steep slopes even in developed countries.

Downloads

• Application form (in German only) 393 KB (pdf)
• Expertise Sandgruber (in German only) 233 KB (pdf)
• Expertise Girtler (in German only) 135 KB (pdf)