What is a whetstone?
The search for wealth drove the people of Unterammergau to the surrounding mountains. Gold or silver veins were hoped for in the rock. The treasure hunters would also discover the source of their future wealth, but in a different form than they had expected: they discovered that their tools did not become dull when they struck the stone. A large industry developed from this discovery: This special rock, which is rarely found in the Alpine region, was mined, processed and sold as whetstones throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Whetstones were used to sharpen scythes: since most people worked in agriculture, there was guaranteed a high demand for this product.