The four winners of the 2026 Prize for Crafts History with their certificates: Dachverband der Restauratoren im Handwerk eV from Stuttgart, Meister der Einbandkunst eV from Aachen, Theod. Mahr Söhne GmbH from Aachen and Essig Flaschnerei+Sanitär GmbH from Calw (Photo: © ZDH/BILDSCHÖN/Boris Trenkel)
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March 2026
Every two years, the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) awards the "Prize for Crafts History". In 2026, there were four winners who were honored for their special contributions to the history of crafts.
Twice Aachen, once Berlin/Stuttgart and once Calw – this is how the four winners of the "Prize for Craft History", awarded by the Central Association of German Skilled Crafts (ZDH) awarded for the second time.Craftsmanship is not only an economic force, but also part of German social, technological and cultural history.", said ZDH Secretary General Holger Schwannecke at the award ceremony at the end of January in Berlin. "With the prize for the history of crafts, we want to show how vibrant the historical debate is in businesses and organizations, and at the same time further stimulate research on crafts."
With this award, the ZDH aims to to recognize the special commitment of craft businesses, but also of craft organizations, and to strengthen awareness of the history, cultural significance and social contribution of crafts in Germany."Behind every business lies a piece of German cultural history that is worth researching and telling," said the Secretary General. "That is precisely what we are making clear with the Prize for Crafts History."
The jury, chaired by Berthold Schröder, ZDH Vice President and President of the Dortmund Chamber of Crafts, He had to evaluate 55 projects for the 2026 prize.The jury awarded prizes to the following four history projects:
The latter received special mention for its commitment to the history of crafts.
"Bookbinders have a threefold significance in the digital age: as a craft, as a cultural asset, and as a real, existing repository of knowledge.", so Stefan Buhren, jury member and editor of the German Crafts Journal, in his laudatory speech. How this craft has developed over the last 100 years can be seen in the exhibition "Masterful one-of-a-kind pieces – 100 years of bookbinding art"take from. Under the initiative of Claudia Dettlaff, Claudia Richter, Andreas Bormann as well as Ingela Dierick and Xenia Leizinger, the association "Masters of Bookbinding", or MDE for short, has chosen its centenary in 2023 as an occasion to convey this masterful craft to others in a traveling exhibition and to clarify what an intangible cultural heritage is.
In the exhibition, visitors will learn the path taken by the hand-binding departments of large bookbinderies since the early 20th centuryReaders can trace the development through excellently written and well-researched articles. For this brief "freeze" of time, combined with critical and precise analysis, presentation, and comprehensive content, the Master Bookbinding Association (Aachen) received the Prize for Craft History for its exhibition "Masterful Unique Pieces – 100 Years of Bookbinding" on the history of bookbinding.
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The journal "Restorer in the craft" has been published four times a year since 2009 and is dedicated to a main theme each issue. The magazine vividly addresses topics such as the Repurposing historic buildings, cathedral workshops, furniture restoration, reused building materials, women in crafts, paint, tools, bells, or company historyThis includes the entire canon of sources on the history of crafts, not just the written sources.
"This project makes a multifaceted contribution to the history of crafts: firstly, through the study of historical artifacts, craft techniques, tools and materials, which gives us an important insight into historical material culture; secondly, through the development of perspectives to secure and preserve these sources of craft history," the speaker explained. Prof. Dr. Reinhold Reith at the award ceremony. The magazine is the official publication of the "Umbrella Association of Restorers in Crafts," founded in 2019, and a an indispensable forum for dialogue between craftsmanship, science and society and goes back to the initiative of Rainer W. Leonhardt from Berlin, who, together with Annemarie Rothe and Wolfgang Dambacher, has built a powerful editorial team.
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It is Germany's oldest plumbing, heating and air conditioning company, since For 185 years, it has ensured pleasant temperatures in churches and cathedrals.Furthermore: Theodor Mark Söhne GmbH is taking over Responsibility for the preservation and dissemination of this knowledge acquired over 180 yearsThe Aachen-based firm maintains an in-house archive containing floor plans, cross-sections, and other architectural drawings, as well as documentation for each project. Over 20.000 file numbers document projects in Germany and neighboring countries.
"This archive reflects the knowledge about the buildings, the preservation of their substance and the technical equipment," explains Dr. Ulrich Soénius, Director of the Rhineland-Westphalian Economic Archives, in his laudatory speech.It thus safeguards cultural heritage and is itself cultural heritage.This applies not only to church records, but also to those of commercial and residential buildings. The company, now in its sixth generation of family ownership, also maintains its own museum, where, in addition to historical documents, historic coal stoves and accessories are presented to document the company's history.
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The family business has existed since 1887 and is now run by Jana Brenner in the fifth generation.The company founder, Heinrich Essig, who lived between 1862 and 1934, kept a diary for more than 50 years. This diary goes far beyond the story of a family of craftsmen, offering a fascinating insight into the local and contemporary history of those decades – between war, social change and political upheavals. It shows a cosmopolitan, well-read company founder who reflects on and describes the circumstances of the time with a keen eye.
In cooperation with the District archive and the Calw District Historical Society The company ensured that the Family treasures are transcribed and publishedThe diary has thus been made available to an interested public, but also to science, in cooperation with historical experts.
The diary also deserves special mention because it was the initial impetus for the prize for the history of crafts. The historian and jury member Dr. Senta Herkle, explaining the special mention: "Discovered by chance, it illustrates the great contribution that craft businesses can make to the preservation and communication of history.
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Prize for Crafts HistoryThe prize for the history of crafts was awarded by the ZDH together with the Interdisciplinary Working Group for the History of Crafts (InAH) The prize was developed and is awarded every two years, alternating between crafts and science. It aims to strengthen both the scholarly study of crafts history and the public perception of crafts. From 2028 onwards, the prize will also be awarded as a prize with a monetary award for science.
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