Blueprint in the Koó blueprint in Steinberg

Blaudruck

Creative craft in Burgenland

I can still remember it well. My grandmother liked to wear blue print aprons when she worked in her kitchen. For me, these blue fabrics and the smell of fresh pastries are among my earliest childhood memories. The aprons were made of durable cotton. They got paler and paler as they got older. They only radiated the intense blue when they were bought new. After that, the radiance was lost more and more with each wash. “This is typical for blue printing materials,” explains Josef Koó. We are guests of the last blueprint in the Koó blueprint in Steinberg im Burgenland. Josef Koó and his wife Miriam talk about this traditional craft in Burgenland to this day.

 

 

The last blue printer in Burgenland: Josef Koó - Handwerk im Burgenland
The last blue printer in Burgenland: Josef Koó - Handwerk im Burgenland

 

Blueprint is an intangible world heritage

In Steinberg, south of Lake Neusiedl, not far from the Austro-Hungarian border, Josef Koó runs the last blueprint in Burgenland. “There used to be several blueprinters in this state alone,” he explains. “Today there is only one other blueprint printer in all of Austria.” “A dying craft, so?” I want to know. And Josef Koó laughs: “Blueprint is currently experiencing a renaissance. The craft and its individuality are in demand again. And we're happy about that. "

 

 

The model of the blue printing company Koó - handicraft in Burgenland
The models are often several hundred years old - crafts in Burgenland

 

Fabrics, shoes, bags and more from blue print

No wonder, look at the pretty fabrics. These are printed with two different patterns on both sides. The Koós are inventive. In this textile print shop, all operations are still performed manually. So you do not just print linen or cotton. Also silk fabrics, T-shirts, shoes, bags, hats, pot warmers adorn the blue and white patterns. These are typical of the blue print. The patterns themselves vary. Small, filigree flowers, diamonds, stripes, dots, borders, large flowers or even elephants decorate the products of the Koó family. Pretty, they are all.

 

Blueprint products

ABAKUHAUS Paisley Tablecloth, Vintage Boho Grunge, Personalized Print Clear Colors Without Fading Washable for Outdoor Use, 140 x 240 cm, Dark Blue and White
Aivtalk Cooking Enthusiastic Women Apron Cotton Denim Cooking Apron Kitchen Apron BBQ Apron Bib Apron Sleeveless Ladies Apron with Pockets 71 * 65cm Denim Blue
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Midi Dirndl Nina in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 40, Color: Dark Blue
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Best Price Midi Dirndl Bine in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 38, Color: Dark Blue
ABAKUHAUS Paisley Tablecloth, Vintage Boho Grunge, Personalized Print Clear Colors Without Fading Washable for Outdoor Use, 140 x 240 cm, Dark Blue and White
Aivtalk Cooking Enthusiastic Women Apron Cotton Denim Cooking Apron Kitchen Apron BBQ Apron Bib Apron Sleeveless Ladies Apron with Pockets 71 * 65cm Denim Blue
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Midi Dirndl Nina in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 40, Color: Dark Blue
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Best Price Midi Dirndl Bine in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 38, Color: Dark Blue
24,95 EUR
20,99 EUR
113,95 EUR
Price not available
ABAKUHAUS Paisley Tablecloth, Vintage Boho Grunge, Personalized Print Clear Colors Without Fading Washable for Outdoor Use, 140 x 240 cm, Dark Blue and White
ABAKUHAUS Paisley Tablecloth, Vintage Boho Grunge, Personalized Print Clear Colors Without Fading Washable for Outdoor Use, 140 x 240 cm, Dark Blue and White
24,95 EUR
Aivtalk Cooking Enthusiastic Women Apron Cotton Denim Cooking Apron Kitchen Apron BBQ Apron Bib Apron Sleeveless Ladies Apron with Pockets 71 * 65cm Denim Blue
Aivtalk Cooking Enthusiastic Women Apron Cotton Denim Cooking Apron Kitchen Apron BBQ Apron Bib Apron Sleeveless Ladies Apron with Pockets 71 * 65cm Denim Blue
20,99 EUR
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Midi Dirndl Nina in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 40, Color: Dark Blue
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Midi Dirndl Nina in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 40, Color: Dark Blue
113,95 EUR
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Best Price Midi Dirndl Bine in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 38, Color: Dark Blue
Almsach Ladies Traditional Costume Best Price Midi Dirndl Bine in Dark Blue Traditional, Size: 38, Color: Dark Blue
Price not available

 

The term "blueprint" is actually a misnomer. Because it is a dyeing process. The patterns are not printed on the paint. Instead, you put a model on the fabric. The sample models are often very old. A color-repellent compound is applied to the fabric via the model. This cardboard prevents the color from penetrating the fabric at these points. The recipe for cardboard is the secret of the blueprinters. Among the Koós, this only knows Josef Koó. His wife Miriam laughs: "It's a family secret that not even I know."

Then the fabric has to dry. Only then does the blueprint printer stretch the lengths of fabric on a roll of fabric and immerse them in the dye bath. Finally, he removes the cardboard with dilute sulfuric acid.

 

Blueprint pillow - craft in Burgenland
Blueprint pillow - craft in Burgenland

 

Where does the blue print come from?

Blueprinting is a very old craft. It is already known in ancient China, India and Egypt. The first calico printing works were established in Amsterdam. And Jeremias Neuhofer brought the craft with him to Germany. Blueprint was particularly popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. With increasing industrialization, however, the craft lost its importance. The manufacturing process was too complex. Only in the last few years has the demand for handmade sample fabrics increased again.

 

Straw hat in the Koó blueprinting shop
Straw hat and summer dress - craft in Burgenland

What color is used for blueprint?

In blueprinting, indigo is used to dye the fabric. This is initially a light green. Only in the dyeing process does it turn to a dark blue. Marco Polo brought indigo to Europe in the 13th century. However, indigo was too expensive because of the long transport route. Instead, woad was used in Europe. This has been cultivated on a large scale, especially in Thuringia. Only when the Portuguese discovered the sea route to India did cotton and indigo reach Europe in sufficient quantities.

How many blue printers are there?

In Germany there are only twelve companies that produce blueprints. There are also fifteen more in European countries. The Koós are one of two blueprinting companies in Austria that still use old methods to dye the fabrics.

The ambience at the Koós is definitely creative. They work with workshops, designers and artists who create beautiful products from their fabrics. But Miriam Koó is also an artist. She completed her studies at the Art Academy in Linz and exhibits her works under her maiden name Miriam Schwack .

If you want to see real blueprints for yourself, you can do so here, for example:

Original Burgenland indigo hand blue print
Blueprint Koó

Neugasse 14
7453 Steinberg
Burgenland, Austria

T: + 43 (0) 2612 8471

 

 

Blueprint in Burgenland
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Do you also know:

Discover Slow Travel Recommendations for example here.

Source: On-site research at the invitation of Burgenland Tourismus. However, our opinion remains our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline

Blueprint in the Koó blueprint in Steinberg

Last update on 9.09.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX / Affiliate links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API

Travel expert Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Food and Slow Travel blog  TravelWorldOnline. They have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Their topics are trips to Savor, wine tourism worldwide and slow travel. During her studies Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she - partly together with Petar Fuchs - traveled to the USA and Canada and spent a research year in British Columbia. This intensified her thirst for knowledge, which she satisfied for 6 years as an adventure guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as a tour guide for Studiosus Reisen around the world. She was constantly expanding her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: "What's beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do they eat in this region?" As a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), she is now looking for answers to these questions as a travel writer and travel blogger in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is among Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021. Find more Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs here.

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