Martinus Schroeter
Martinus Schroeter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 November 1900 |
| Other names | Merg |
| Occupation | Marble craftsman |
| Era | Vriend Era |
| Family | Schroeter family |
Martinus "Merg" Schroeter (born 17 November 1900) is a marble craftsman from Overschie, Rotterdam, Netherlands. He is a member of the Schroeter family and belongs to De Mergenmensen. In 2015, Schroeter received the Schroeter Marmerprijs for his marble structures throughout Overschie and his contribution to local marble craftsmanship.
Early life
[edit | edit source]Martinus Schroeter was born in Overschie, Rotterdam. He grew up as a member of the Schroeter family and remained in the Overschie area.
Schroeter entered the local stone-yard trade and learned marble cutting and statue work by hand. His nickname, Merg, came from his use of the word merg for long, pale, and rigid objects found in his work.
Career
[edit | edit source]In 1921, Schroeter began working within the Schroeter family stone business in Overschie, where he learned traditional marble polishing and hand-cutting techniques from relatives. During the late 1920s, he started producing small marble ornaments and narrow stone figures for projects connected to the family workshop.
In 1934, he expanded the family marble workshop in Overschie into his own working space. The workshop became known among the Schroeter family for custom marble pillars, memorial stones, and narrow decorative sculptures. During the Second World War, shortages of imported marble slowed production. Schroeter repaired damaged stone structures and reused broken marble kept by the family business after the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940.
By the 1950s, Schroeter had developed his distinctive style of elongated marble forms, which members of the Schroeter family referred to as mergbeelden. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he produced marble works mainly for family-owned properties, workshops, and gardens connected to the Schroeter family network in and around Overschie.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Schroeter remained active in the family workshop, continued to carve marble by hand, and maintained older stone-cutting methods used by earlier generations of the Schroeter family. In 2004, the workshop was documented in family records as one of the last active traditional marble workshops still operated by members of the Schroeter family in Overschie.
In 2015, Schroeter received the Schroeter Marmerprijs, an award recognizing marble artists and craftsmen in the Rotterdam region. The award was given for his marble structures placed throughout Overschie and for preserving traditional hand-cutting techniques.
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Schroeter lives alone in his workshop in Overschie. He has no children.
Because of his old age and many years of marble work, Schroeter has severe Parkinson's disease. His hands shake badly and he moves slowly. He still works on marble every day and often pauses for long periods between cuts. He smokes frequently and usually keeps several cigarettes burning in the workshop.
He often says, Alles wat lang is, is merg. En alles wat merg is, leeft.