0951 / 188-0 Companies Business areas Group functions Downloads Career portal News TO THE NEWS OVERVIEW 09/28/2015 COUCH CELEBRATION 2015 As every year, on Saturday after passing their final exams, trainees in the printing department underwent an ancient custom: couching. A wet affair, because in a public ceremony they are submerged in a vat. The Oberfranken media group is one of the largest training companies in the region. Every year we have around 60 young people in vocational training. The company trains various technical and commercial professions, including media technologists and media designers. Both professions are now highly technical and no longer have anything to do with the original lead type. And yet: Mediengruppe Oberfranken keeps the tradition of couching alive. Gautschen ist ein bis ins 16. Jahrhundert zurückverfolgbarer Buchdruckerbrauch, bei dem ein Lehrling nach bestandener Abschlussprüfung im Rahmen einer Freisprechungszeremonie auf einen nassen Schwamm gesetzt und anschließend in einer Bütte untergetaucht wird. Geleitet wird das Gautschen vom Gautschmeister, der den traditionellen Freispruch praktiziert und am Ende den Gautschbrief übergibt. Für die Umsetzung der „Taufe“ sind die „Packer“, bereits ausgelernte und selbst gegautsche Drucker zuständig, die die Kornuten unter lauter Gegenwehr in die Bütte werfen. Dem Druckteufel ein Schnippchen schlagen The origin of this journeyman's baptism is the story of Johannes Gutenberg's first work: The 42-line Bible. According to the story, shortly before the pressure came, the devil himself appeared to prevent Gutenberg from completing the work. This is said to have thrown at the troublemaker with a wet sponge, which he needed to moisten the lead letters. With a gurgling sound that sounded something like "Gautsch", the devil then disappeared. According to tradition, the resulting “Gautschen” should protect the newcomers from the devil of printing errors. Click here for the picture gallery on inFranken.de back © 2015 Media Group Upper Franconia Contact privacy imprint