Banbury community group restores ‘beautiful’ historic German glass art
Members of a community group have worked hard to restore a beautiful piece of glass artwork gifted to Banbury by its German twin town.
Banbury and District Twinning Association teamed up with Banbury Shed to restore the intricate glass panel artwork.
The piece, which sits within a leaded panel, was gifted to Banbury by Karl Kreuzberg between 1999 and 2004.
It was originally one of the decorative windows from the old town hall in Allner, Hennef, one of Banbury’s twin towns.
John, chairman of the twinning association, said the panel had deteriorated over time, prompting the group to seek help from the community workshop.
He said: “It’s a beautiful piece of art. They've done the leading around the outside of the artwork, so they've brought it back up to a really good standard now.”
The glass artwork depicts several landmarks from the German town's heritage, including Katharinentor in Stadt Blankenberg, the historic 1912 town hall, the chapel on Geistinger Straße and Schloss Allner.
It’s lower section features Bödingen Pilgrimage Church alongside a view of Blankenberg Castle from the Sieg valley. A small, uncoloured figure of a glassblower in the top-right corner is believed to be the glassmaker's signature.
Following the restoration, the panel will be presented to Banbury Town Council, which plans to display it in the town hall.
John said the project was part of a wider effort to build relationships between the twinning association and local community organisations.
He said: “They were very proactive, so it was really good because we've started to make lots of contacts with other organisations, small organisations within the town, to see whether we've got some, you know, we can work together and do various projects.
“This was an ideal one. It's been really a good project to work together on, and they've been very helpful.”
Banbury Shed community group is part of the UK Men’s Sheds Association and is based in People's Park.
The community workshop gives residents the opportunity to work on practical projects, share skills and enjoy company.
The group meets every Saturday at 9.30am, and new members are welcome.