DOI issue:
No. 217 (April, 1911)
DOI article:Levetus, A. S.: The ''Wiener Werkstätte'', Vienna
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20972#0213
The " Wiener Werkstatte" Vienna
FAN DESIGNED BY PROF. KOLO MOSER
EXECUTED BY THE WIENER WERKSTATTE
pay dividends, or at the best but small ones, the dividends
they do pay being purely intrinsic. The true craftsman
and the true artist ignore this material success, but when
it does come it would no doubt be welcome. The working
hours are eight and a .half daily. On Saturdays and the
minor Catholic holidays work is struck at 1.30 p.m.; the
great Catholic holidays and Sundays are strictly kept, the
works being closed all day. Each man and woman em-
ployed by the Werkstatte is entitled to nine days' holiday
every year at full pay.
A few words may be in place here to show how the
legal status of the workman in Austria differs from that
of the British citizen. Here, in Austria, a concession
from a special department of the Government is necessary
before a workshop can be opened. The master-workman
must furnish proof that he is in every
way capable, that is, must produce
his " Befahigungsnachweis " showing
that he has served his apprenticeship,
his journeymanship, and then passed
his master's examination. After due
enquiries have been made and he
has satisfactorily gone through the
ordeal, it might be reasonably ex-
pected that the wished-for permission
would be granted to open a workshop.
But before this is finally settled en-
quiries must be made as to whether
there is room in the particular district
for another man of his trade, the
object of this proceeding being, of
course, to prevent undue competition.
Whether this policy of regulating
industry be right or wrong, it is
enough to say that it would be
practically impossible for a William
Morris to start a printing press here,
for the simple reason that he had
not qualified in the legal way. In
the case of the Wiener Werkstatte
it has prevented them from starting
GOLD BROOCHES DESIGNED BY
PROF. JOSEF HOFFMANN, EXECUTED
BY THE WIENER WERKSTATTE
191
FAN DESIGNED BY PROF. KOLO MOSER
EXECUTED BY THE WIENER WERKSTATTE
pay dividends, or at the best but small ones, the dividends
they do pay being purely intrinsic. The true craftsman
and the true artist ignore this material success, but when
it does come it would no doubt be welcome. The working
hours are eight and a .half daily. On Saturdays and the
minor Catholic holidays work is struck at 1.30 p.m.; the
great Catholic holidays and Sundays are strictly kept, the
works being closed all day. Each man and woman em-
ployed by the Werkstatte is entitled to nine days' holiday
every year at full pay.
A few words may be in place here to show how the
legal status of the workman in Austria differs from that
of the British citizen. Here, in Austria, a concession
from a special department of the Government is necessary
before a workshop can be opened. The master-workman
must furnish proof that he is in every
way capable, that is, must produce
his " Befahigungsnachweis " showing
that he has served his apprenticeship,
his journeymanship, and then passed
his master's examination. After due
enquiries have been made and he
has satisfactorily gone through the
ordeal, it might be reasonably ex-
pected that the wished-for permission
would be granted to open a workshop.
But before this is finally settled en-
quiries must be made as to whether
there is room in the particular district
for another man of his trade, the
object of this proceeding being, of
course, to prevent undue competition.
Whether this policy of regulating
industry be right or wrong, it is
enough to say that it would be
practically impossible for a William
Morris to start a printing press here,
for the simple reason that he had
not qualified in the legal way. In
the case of the Wiener Werkstatte
it has prevented them from starting
GOLD BROOCHES DESIGNED BY
PROF. JOSEF HOFFMANN, EXECUTED
BY THE WIENER WERKSTATTE
191