Roofing apprentice from Monreal, Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate, elected "Miss Crafts 2013"
Sonja Theisen has made it - she carries the title "Miss Handwerk 2013" (Miss Crafts 2013). Since last summer, she and more than 100 other candidates have subjected themselves to the competition for the crafts calendar "Germany's Power People", she has conquered one of the twelve calendar pages for craftswomen and has ultimately won the title after internet polling and personal presentation in the context of the Internationale Handwerksmesse (International Trade Fair for the Crafts) in Munich, triumphing over five other competing craftswomen.
"The title must remain in the roofing industry!" - this was Sonja's early challenge to the competitors. Indeed, she inherits the title from her colleague in the profession Nina Franke from Hattingen. Yet this is the first time the title goes to the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate and to the district governed by the Chamber of Crafts Koblenz.
"I am so thrilled and as yet can hardly believe it", says the winner from the pretty town of Monreal in the Eifel with a radiant smile. In spite of having one arm in plaster, she presented herself to the trade fair audience in the best of spirits and won over the jury around the President of the Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (ZDH – German Confederation of Skilled Crafts), Otto Kentzler.
"An occupation in the building industry works for girls"
Sonja Theisen is about to complete her roofing apprenticeship, receiving her practical training at Bedachungen Stefan Hofmann in Sankt Johann. "I am already the sixth generation working in the roofing industry. My grandfather, who worked on rooftops until he was 72, had repeatedly taken me to visit the business. I then was allowed to cut hearts out of slate", the 21-year-old explains her early professional background.
With her participation in the calendar campaign and the beauty pageant she wanted to illustrate "that an occupation in the building industry works for girls". With this spirit, she has won over also her trainer, master roofer Stefan Hofmann. "What with her excellent qualifications and her strength of purpose I simply had to hire her. She convinced me by the power of her personality".
In addition to preparing for her journeyman examination, Sonja Theisen will be attending representative events in her capacity as attractive ambassador for "Das Handwerk. Die Wirtschaftsmacht. Von nebenan." (The Crafts. The Next Door Economic Power.). And then she will tackle the next major goal: the master craftsman examination in the roofing trade. "I will get on a par with my boyfriend Yannick!" She met her partner at the roofing trade's vocational school in Mayen; he works as a master craftsman and certified energy consultant in his trade in the family's business in Nesselbrunn near Marburg.
The title of Mister Handwerk 2013 (Mister Crafts 2013) went to 26-year-old master butcher Matthias Weiland from Doberlug-Kirchhain in the Federal State of Brandenburg. The competition was organised by the trade publication Deutsches Handwerksblatt in co-operation with the trade insurance company Signal Iduna, the trade software provider Sage and the trade health insurance IKK classic.