by Tim Steinert, Carpet Collector
In Germany it’s rare to find people interested enough in Oriental rugs and textiles to form interest groups for the purpose of exchanging experiences. One of the few exceptions is the “Circle of Friends for Oriental Rugs and Textiles in Northern Germany” (“Freundeskreis orientalischer Teppiche und Textilien Norddeutschland”). The informal association of connoisseurs of old and antique rugs belongs to the US umbrella association ACOR (American Conference on Oriental Rugs), which was formed by the extremely active “rug societies” there.
Dr. Herbert Exner invoked the Northern German Circle of Friends in 1988; the catchment area extends from Kiel to Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin and Westphalia to Göttingen and Giessen. Members meet at the Heide-Kröpke conference hotel at the Walsroder Dreieck interchange between Hamburg and Hanover three times a year – on either a Saturday or Sunday in March, June and October/November. In the morning the agenda features presentations about varying topics, followed by a “Show & Tell” after the lunch buffet. At this small exhibition participants present rugs from their own collections and open the floor for discussion. Between 45 and 75 members usually come to the meetings.
The northern German rug fans are always excited to find new members, especially younger rug enthusiasts. More information is available on the Internet at www.teppichfreunde-norddeutschland.de.
Tim Steinert, Editor-in-Chief, Carpet Collector