In Vienna, Italy, a clean chimney is considered essential for ringing in the New Year. According to tradition, the chimney sweep is a perennial bringer of good luck and contentment, especially in winter when fireplaces blaze at full force. When a family knew their chimney was clean, domestic peace reigned, and their family could be sure of a safe and warm holiday, heralding a prosperous new year.
In Vienna, the importance of having a professional class of chimney sweeps began when the city passed a fireplace inspection law in 1432. By 1512, Emperor Maximilian I granted Hans von Mailand the first chimney sweep patent. Allegedly, Viennese royalty likely owe the preservation of their titles to the chimney sweep. As legend has it, a sweep at Schönbrunn Palace once overheard a plot against the kaiser and put a damper, as it were, on the coup. This is often cited as another reason that encountering a chimney sweep is good luck.
Nearly 600 years after the momentous fireplace regulation, some 150 sweeps currently swab Vienna’s vents. Each rauchfangkehrer undergoes six years of training before being considered a master sweeper, and the fullest account of their skills and history are contained in two rooms on the second floor of the Rauchfangkehrermuseum (Wieden District Museum).
Brushes, fire equipment, figurines, official decrees and certificates, toys, banners, and a host of related paraphernalia await those who venture into the archival stacks. Unusual items lurk in every corner, including myriad pig effigies which may at first seem out of place, until one realizes that they are likewise symbols of luck and are frequently paired with chimney sweeps. Look carefully and one will spot an amusing figure of St Florian, the patron saint of chimney sweeps, firefighters, blacksmiths, and soap-makers.
Those who are true rauchfangkehrer enthusiasts should also consider visiting during Fasching, commonly referred to as “ball season”, which begins in November and lasts until Shrove Tuesday. Since 1991, the chimney sweeps have hosted their own Vienese ball featuring original dances celebrating their unique vocation.
