![[Translate to English:] Rauchfangkehrerin am Dach, im Hintergrund Blick auf Wien](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/9/csm_Erfolgsgeschichte-Rauchfangkehrerin-Walter-Portrait-Cover_528290a027.jpg)
Chimney sweep Katharina Walter-Weiß – a craftswoman with vision
March 24, 2025|MS
Katharina Walter-Weiß makes sure the chimneys, boilers and heating systems in Vienna’s 13th District, Hietzing, stay clean – and is inspiring and training ever more women to join the male-dominated profession. It’s a trade with long tradition: children in Vienna still run up to black-clad chimney sweeps and ask to rub their brass buttons for good luck. But in today’s world, the job is more about fire protection, climate technology and sustainability than it is about soot removal.
Like all great superheroes, Katharina Walter-Weiß and her team take a moment to watch the sun rising over the rooftops of Vienna before getting down to the serious business of keeping its residents safe. But as they say: not all heroes wear capes. Vienna's youngest female master chimney sweep and her company are there no matter the weather, cleaning and inspecting chimneys, checking heating systems and measuring exhaust gas levels. Their work helps to prevent fires and dangerous flue gas accidents, and keeps heating systems working efficiently.
A role model for young women in the trades
Katharina Walter-Weiß was born with a passion for chimney sweeping: After her grandfather and father, she is the third generation to carry on the family tradition. However, the profession and its demands have changed considerably over the years. That's why, after completing her apprenticeship in her father's business and passing her master's examination, she decided to set up her own business in another part of town. Asserting herself in a male-dominated industry also motivated her to become self-employed. In 2024, the City of Vienna had around 90 chimney sweeping companies, only 14 of which were run by women. But the number of female apprentices has increased in recent years, and Walter-Weiß now trains other young women chimney sweeping business, happily passing on the tricks of her much-beloved trade.
Chimney sweep 2.0: expert in climate technology and fire protection
As a modern chimney sweep, Walter is keen on environmental protection and keeps up to date with the latest developments in fire protection and climate control technology. In addition to dusting out smokey chimneys, today’s sweeps advise clients on issues relating to fire prevention, environmental protection and energy efficiency. They are just as knowledgeable about legal frameworks as they are about gas boilers and heat pumps.
When consulting opens doors - to an own office and beyond
Having her very own team and office was a big step for Walter-Weiß, and the Vienna Business Agency was able to support her with funding: “Thanks to a personal consultation [with the Agency], I was made aware of this funding opportunity and was able to fulfil my dream of having my own office space in my neighbourhood, the 13th District of Vienna.”
Here, customers coming in for consultations are greeted in a bright ground-floor meeting room. The airy office with glass walls and modern, energy-efficient equipment is a deliberate step away from the old cellar walls of her father's company – as is the pink logo that adorns both office and company, which is already well-known to property managers and residents in the area.
Since 1512, the profession of chimney sweep has reinvented itself time and again - then as now, they are indispensable experts and valued contacts for residents and homeowners in the neighbourhood. Katharina Walter-Weiß proves that a young woman can bring new ideas to this traditional profession and earn the respect of her peers.
Walter Rauchfangkehrer
Services of the Vienna Business Agency
2023 funded through the Neighbourhood Business Energy Funding
Neighbourhood Business Energy