Art made of stone: Georg Hütter and his life's work in Aschaffenburg

Art made of stone: Georg Hütter and his life's work in Aschaffenburg

Georg Hütter, the master of stonemasonry, is a name that radiates in the world of sculpture far beyond the borders of Aschaffenburg. The 76-year-old, who has been working as a freelance artist since 1999, moves huge granite colossuses and basalt giants with a forklift in his studio in Hösbach-Schmerlenbach. “I can't do anything else - and then I just do it,” he says modestly, while he has his impressive works around him.

The passion for stonemasonry is deeply rooted in the keeper family. His grandfather founded a stonemason's workshop in Seligenstadt around a hundred years ago, which was later taken over by his father and finally by him. At the age of 22, Hütter became a master and began his studies at the renowned Städelschule in Frankfurt, where he learned sculpture in 1973. One of his most famous works, the Pegasus made of sheet copper, has adorned the gable of the Alte Oper in Frankfurt since 1983. Keeper has left his mark not only in Aschaffenburg, but also in cities like Tilburg and Brussels.

A life for art

His works are often abstract and titleless, which Hütter sees as an invitation for viewers to contribute their own thoughts and feelings. “We were hungry for education and wanted to put something into our minds,” he explains, as he is inspired by music and literature in his workshop. This year he had an exhibition in Bremen and presented his Landgrave monument in the Bad Homburg Kurhausgarten. He also created altars in the Protestant church of St. Ingbert and in the garden of the Friedensgemeinde Offenbach that captivate visitors.

Keeper, who also exhibits with his sons Caspar and Urban, who are also artists, shows no signs of exhaustion. “I am satisfied with the life I lead,” he says, remaining true to the hard raw material stone, which always offers him new challenges. His work is not just a job, but a life's work that drives and inspires him to this day.