Made by the Cooper

What does a cooper actually do? If you talk about a “cooper” – as coopers are also called – you have more of a picture. Building barrels is one of the tasks of a cooper. In the Alpine region and in agricultural areas, coopers mainly devote themselves to other tasks: They produce those wooden vessels that are needed for alpine farming. Vats for cheese production, for example, milk vats, butter churns and wooden bowls to keep food warm. These wooden bowls, also called “Brenta” or “Gebse”, are particularly popular in Vorarlberg. They are used to serve Kässpätzle or Käsknöpfle, as they are called in some regions.

In the process, coopers do not hollow out a tree trunk or a piece of wood: They assemble the vessel from staves and do so in such a way that the vessel is tight. The “cohesion” is sometimes provided by bands of wood or metal.

There are three coopers working in Vorarlberg, two of them already in the 6th generation: Fredy Welte in Frastanz and Peter Lässer in Hittisau. In Montafon, Jürgen Tschofen works as a cooper.

Wooden vessels for fine and beautiful things: Küferei & Brennerei Welte, Frastanz
Fredy Welte is the 6th generation to practice the cooperage trade. Wooden bowls (“Brenta”/”Gebse”) for Kässpätzle, oak barrels, flower tubs or sauna tubs are available in the store & in the online store.
Wooden bath tubs: Cooperage Fassbinderei Lässer, Hittisau
Peter Lässer comes from a family of barrel makers or coopers. In addition to coopers and wooden vessels for alpine farming, he specializes in bath tubs, made from the wood of larch, oak or Swiss stone pine.
Wood craft revived: Weissküfer Tschofen, Gortipohl
The workshop of Jürgen Tschofen is located in the Montafon. Mainly from Swiss stone pine, the cooper makes wooden bowls (“Brenta”), vases, nutcrackers, purses, lamps, decorative items and custom-made items….