Production for BR / 44 min. / 2026

The era of hand-hewn beams is long gone. Yet, when historic roof structures are renovated, old beams are joined with new timber, or shingles are crafted for traditional roofs, ancient knowledge lives on. Carpenters in the Bavarian Forest take widely differing paths: some preserve centuries-old techniques and maintain historic buildings, while others develop modern timber structures and shape the future of construction. Amidst this blend of tradition and innovation, one material always remains at the heart of it all: wood.

We roam the Bavarian Forest, a region long defined by its forests and timber. There, we shadow people who demonstrate—with passion and craftsmanship—what the carpentry trade is all about today. Central to this is the question of who is learning this trade today, and why.

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Crew:

Author: Verena Wagner
Camera: Denis Lüthi
Sound: Lorenz Kainz
Editor: Silja Wochele
Commissioning Editor: Corbinian Lippl

A production for the Bayerischen Rundfunk.