Who's knocking?

Good luck messengers come and bring New Year’s wishes

The lucky charms are guests of Chamber of Commerce President Andreas Wirth and WKB Director Harald Schermann.(Bild: WKB)

Folklore has always claimed that anyone who touches a chimney sweep or turns a button on their clothes when they see one will have good luck in the New Year. So: open your eyes! And open the door when they ring the bell these days to wish you a Happy New Year.

The belief that chimney sweeps bring good luck is firmly rooted in folklore and stems from the fact that it used to be a disaster for a household if the chimney was blocked or had a bad draught. Food could not be cooked and it remained cold in the living room. Flue gas poisoning was the order of the day. What to do? Call in the chimney sweep, the savior in need.

Changing job description
Of course, this profession has also evolved over time. Chimney sweeps now play a special role in the areas of safety and ecology. In addition to sweeping and inspecting heating systems and chimneys, many companies also offer energy advice, combustion air supply inspections and energy efficiency checks.

"There is endless work waiting"
"We are genuine service providers for safe, efficient and environmentally friendly heating with an ever-increasing technical side," says regional guild master Herbert Baumrock. The range of services also requires comprehensive training. "Skilled workers are urgently needed, apprentices are most welcome, even career changers - there is endless work waiting."

There are 23 chimney sweep businesses in Burgenland, 9 apprentices are in training and around 15 percent of employees are female.