As a passionate historian and environment economist, Nicola Rath is researching about the history and future of craftsmanship for the past 20 years. Her focus is mainly comparative international craft research and study trips through Europe and beyond, especially to Japan, Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia and lectures about her experiences are both work and the most beloved hobby.
Within her doctoral thesis she invented a new definition for craftsmanship as „MenschWerk“ “[(Hu)ManWork]“ which is able to create animated, inspired products which cause immense fascination especially in our digital world and could be the kind of craft industry which will be successful in the future. Because „working with someone’s hands“ is one of the most natural and archaic activities of human life.
Discovering craft traditions, talking with outstanding master craftsmen about their philosophy, products and techniques and bringing together craftsmen, craft-researchers and crafts-associations from all over the world working together in strengthening the crafts sector regionally, nationally and internationally, is her passion.
As one of the CEOs of MEISTERSTRASSE HANDMADE Nicola Rath is responsible for strategic development, international cooperations and all kinds of editing and texting.