The tenth international Parquet Restorer Austria took place August 25-29, 2025. The event was organized by the Workcamp Parquet association in cooperation with the Bundesdenkmalamt (Federal Monuments Office Austria) on the premises of the Kartause Mauerbach and with the support of the Privatstiftung Esterházy (Esterházy Private Foundation). The workshop welcomed 22 selected specialists from 11 countries across three continents – Europe, Australia, and North America.
The goal of the project was to share knowledge and practical skills in restoring historic wood floors. This year’s edition focused on the comprehensive restoration process, including cleaning, consolidation, supplementing missing elements, and traditional technologies.
“Heritage conservation is teamwork that requires international knowledge exchange and the highest level of craftsmanship. Workcamp Parquet creates a unique space for the meeting of top restorers and the passing on of these traditional craft techniques to future generations. The success of this year’s edition, which brought together experts from Europe, Australia, and North America, was exceptional,” evaluated Mag.a Astrid Huber, head of the Information and Training Centre for Architectural Heritage Conservation in Austria and co-organizer of the project.
Training included working with original historic parquet pieces from Schloss Esterházy in the Kartause Mauerbach as well as a direct intervention on an authentic floor at Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt. Monday’s program was dedicated to wood cleaning: “From Soap to Laser” under the guidance of Mag.a Ursula Huber and Stefan Kainz. Tuesday was devoted to the properties and use of animal glues. The introductory lecture was given by Michaela Reichlová, followed by a practical workshop led by René Caran. Wednesday focused on introductions to traditional hand tools, such as parquet planes and scrapers.
Friday included a lecture about restoration documentation by Michaela Reichlová with Workcamp Parquet and Prof. Markus Schlempp from Coburg University. He emphasized the importance of cooperation between architects and craftsmen and spoke about a workshop the Workcamp Parquet association organized for heritage conservation students at Coburg University. The morning was concluded with a lecture by Mag. Peter Kopp (wood restorer), who detailed the restoration of the Thonet intarsia parquet at the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. The afternoon was followed by an exclusive tour of the palace focused on the parquet floors.
Workcamp Parquet says that the project was another example of excellent cooperation between an independent association, state heritage conservation, a private foundation, and a university in the field of preserving cultural heritage.