Capital of Culture 2024

Salt stone crosses Lake Traunsee on a flatboat

Dirk Schlichting in front of the Erbstollen in Altaussee(Bild: ZVg)

Sculptor Dirk Schlichting from the Ruhr region in Germany is looking for a large boulder for a "salt Madonna" in the mine in Altaussee. He wants to erect it in Roitham am Traunfall in the district of Gmunden. He has now found a boulder of rock salt weighing 400 kilograms.

"Unfortunately, the first attempt failed," says Dirk Schlichting. The sculptor from Düsseldorf spent many hours in the salt mine in Altaussee: "We tried to remove a block of salt, but then cracks appeared," he explains. But a replacement was soon found: "A block of rock salt that was already there, an erratic boulder. It weighs around 400 kilograms and is 1.70 meters high," he explains in the "Krone" talk.

Journey through the Salzkammergut
The rock salt block is still underground in the mine. But from June 19 to 22, it will embark on a long journey. With the full support of the salt works, the stone will first be shipped across Lake Traunsee on a typical Salzplätte - a traditional wooden boat - and a band will also be on board.

At work in the mountain(Bild: ZVg)

From Gmunden, the stone is then transported to Roitham am Traunfall on the Stern & Hafferl train. "Here, I will carve a Madonna out of the block in three weeks," says Schlichting. Anyone can look over his shoulder.

Healing salt in jars
What he already knows from tests: "The salt stone is softer than marble, but it behaves differently. Milling won't be easy." The "waste" is filled into 200 jars and sold as "Roitham Madonna Salt" for a charitable purpose. The sculpture - the "Salt Madonna" - will be unveiled in a ceremony on July 14.

Schlichting's project as part of the Salzkammergut 2024 Capital of Culture was triggered by the "Flößermadonna am Traunfall", which once gave the salt boatmen succor during their dangerous journey.