The little pottery town of Bürgel has survived the hard years that followed German reunification and extended its reputation as a major ceramics centre across the whole of the Federal Republic. Even now, almost everyone associates blue tableware with white dots with this little town in Thuringia.
Today, most Bürgel potteries produce more than just the traditional blue-and-white ware. The town still has eight potteries, and each workshop pursues its own style. There’s still a sense of being part of a community of potters with a strong tradition. Once a year in June, on the weekend before last, everyone who is anyone gathers in Bürgel: the pottery market attracts ceramicists from all over Germany and beyond.
Since 1995, the Ceramics Museum has handed out the “Walter Gebauer Ceramics Award” on the occasion of the annual pottery market. It’s the only ceramics award in Central Germany and maintains the region’s claim to produce high quality artisanal and artistic pottery.
Having explored several centuries of the art of pottery in Bürgel, we’ve now arrived in the present.
We hope you’ve enjoyed your time with us today. We’d be delighted to welcome you again in the future, but for now -
Thank you for listening, and see you again at the Bürgel Ceramics Museum.
