*1978 | Germany
Field: Technology
Master stonemason and sculptor | qualified craft restorer
My work:
Stone carver at the Mainz Cathedral Workshop
Brief description of duties:
Fabrication of building stones and spandrels (stone inserts) of various types; installation of the fabricated components; jointing and rendering; restoration work, e.g. crack injection to secure the original structure; documentation and inventory.
Jennifer Schrauth
"The most important thing is to enjoy your work and find joy in it, because then anything is possible! Never let anyone or anything take that away from you!"
Your vision for ‘Women in STEM’
In my opinion, there are still too few women in STEM professions. However, this is not down to their abilities, but rather to the structures, which are often still very male-dominated and tailored to men.
My vision and also a great personal hope is that, in the future, developments will take place in this area in particular that make it easier for young women to choose a STEM career.
It was a great help to me that my family always backed my career choice and supported me throughout my professional journey. In fact, I was inspired by the older sister of a school friend who was already training as a stonemason. That really impressed and inspired me, as I’ve always enjoyed doing hands-on work.
Did you have a clear idea of what your future would look like when you were a child?
As a child, I didn’t have any clear idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’m sure I had the odd career aspiration here and there, like every child, but I didn’t have a specific plan for my future. The only thing that was clear to me was that I definitely didn’t want to have to start work as early as my father, who always left the house at 7 am, just as we children were getting up. And not even that turned out to be the case, as I start work at 7 am, and during my apprenticeship I had to leave the house as early as 6.15 am because I travelled by train.
Which person(s) or experience(s) had the greatest influence on your decision about which career to pursue, and why?
In fact, the person who had the greatest influence on my decision to train as a stonemason was the older sister of a school friend. She was already in training, and the pieces she had made fascinated me, I wanted to be able to do that too!
My father then gave me the final push. He suggested I apply to the Dombauhütte in Mainz, as you could also learn the stonemason’s trade there
Please tell us how your interest in your profession, academic field or trade was sparked.
In my opinion, my interest in this profession was actually sparked by the fact that there was a female role model. That showed me that women can also train for this profession, and ultimately gave me the courage to do so. If it had been my school friend’s older brother who had trained as a stonemason, I would probably have unconsciously stuck to the stereotype that it is a man’s job.
What do you like most about your current job?
I am privileged to be able to work on a building site. It is the combination of stonemasonry and restoration work there that makes my job interesting and varied. The wide range of tasks involved in working on such a 1,000-year-old building is what gives me a real sense of fulfilment.
These qualities have helped me along the way:
Determination, ambition, perseverance and a healthy self-confidence
If you could give young women some advice, what would it be?
The most important thing is to enjoy your work and find joy in it, because then anything is possible! Never let anyone or anything take that away from you!
Contact details and further information
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Kontakt
Tel. 069 / 713 79 69-0
Das Telefon ist von Mo. – Fr. zwischen 10:00 Uhr und 12:00 Uhr besetzt.
Fax 069 / 713 79 69-190
info@experiminta.de
