EPT![[image loading]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Gesellen1.jpg/414px-Gesellen1.jpg)
Journeyman Alchemists (from the look of it)
Germanic Friends,
I just found out about this custom of yours:
The 'journeyman years' refer to the tradition of setting out on a journey for several years after completing apprenticeship as a craftsman. The tradition dates back to medieval times and is still alive in German-speaking countries. In the British Isles the tradition is lost and only the title journeyman itself remains as a reminder of the custom of young men traveling throughout the country.
I know many Europeans take a "gap" year but "auf der Walz sein (on the waltz)" sounds so much cooler and the concept of "craftsman wanderlust" is much more Romantic than "gap year internship".
+ Show Spoiler +
I do not speak German or have any German heritage but my favorite authors all wrote in German and there is strong consensus that German thinkers, as a whole, are historically quite profound (e.g. Leibniz, Goethe, Schiller, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Einstein). I wonder if young Kant (or his saddle-making father) went 'on the waltz'.
Also, my favorite novels are all of genre known as bildungsroman (genre of novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. Goethe, Hesse were the masters of this genre. Also to mention are similiarly focused Japanese RPGs and some anime like FullMetal Alchemist or SE: Lain.
from wiki entry:
The travelling book (German: Wanderbuch) was given to the journeyman and in each new town, he would go to the town office asking for a stamp. This qualifies both as a record of his journey and also replaces the residence registration that would otherwise be required
Anyway, I want to hear from those craftsmen who have done this or know anyone who has. I'm sure there are some amazing and historically famous Wanderbuchs from days of yore that would make wonderful films or dramas.
