Friedrich Bramsteidl, known as Fritz, was born in Austria in 1961 into a family with a seven-generation tradition in the art of blacksmithing. He began learning the trade as a child alongside his father and other master blacksmiths. He studied metalwork at a vocational school in Austria and completed a master blacksmith course in 1988..<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cI was born in a forge, and from a young age, I had the privilege of being in my father\u2019s workshop, which had also belonged to my grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. I was immersed in the craft from early on, and my main teacher was my father. When he passed away, while I was living in Galicia, I realized that this trade is his legacy. I\u2019ve been working as a blacksmith for 31 years\u2014it\u2019s my life<\/em>\u201d says Friedrich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He moved to Spain in search of new professional opportunities. After spending some time in Andalusia, he settled in Galicia, a region that reminded him of his home country. In 2001, he opened his first blacksmith workshop in Bande (Ourense), where he also taught introductory courses in traditional blacksmithing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2006, he was offered the chance to take over an 18th-century forge\u2014the ethnographic complex of the Mazo de Mazonovo in Santa Eulalia de Oscos, Asturias\u2014which he gladly accepted. Between 2007 and 2008, he participated in training courses to recover traditional techniques with several local masters and, in 2013, completed a course in ergonomic forging with Israeli master Uri Hofi in Barcelona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n