The KURZ wall calendar has a long tradition. For several decades, a new country has been showcased with our decorative transfer products every year. Today, we’d like to give you an insight into how it comes about and tell you more about the background to the latest edition.

Although the KURZ wall calendar focuses on a different country every year, there are recurring elements that are fascinating in their execution every time. Typical landscapes, symbols, plus flora and fauna are reinterpreted in a visually appealingly way for each edition through our products and processes.

The theme for 2022 is New Zealand. The island state is a colorful mix of different cultures, and its landscapes take on very different dimensions: From spectacular glaciers to volcanic plateaus, New Zealand has a lot to offer.

The indigenous people of New Zealand, the Māori, were the first to cross the sea from Hawaiki more than 1,000 years ago. Māori myth and legend continues to play an important role in New Zealand’s history and this is reflected in the motifs of the calendar.

The 2022 wall calendar focuses on the backdrop of a mountain. In the foreground you see a lake surrounded by a pristine forest. In Māori culture, New Zealand’s mountains were once gods and warriors whose fierce battles shaped the landscape. Even today, Māori regard them as sacred sites.

The landscape is framed by typical motifs from flora and fauna. At the top left is a ‘Red Admiral’, which is native to New Zealand. Its Māori name, ‘Kahukura,’ means ‘red coat.’ The reason for this becomes clear when you take a closer look.

In the lower right corner you see a beautiful bird called a Tui, which is exclusively found in New Zealand. According to myths, Tane-Mahuta, the god of the forest was worried about his children, the trees. They were starting to get sick from all the bugs eating them. He asked his brother Tane-Hokahoka, the god of birds, for help. Tane-Hokahoka called on the birds to climb down from the roof of the forest and live on the ground, but the Tui was afraid of the dark and refused. According to legend, as a punishment the Tui was given its two characteristic white feathers (Poi) on its throat, symbolizing the Tui’s cowardliness.

No less fascinating than the legend, is the fact that today the Tui plays an important role in New Zealand’s forestry. It is the most common pollinator of flowering plants and spreads the seeds of certain trees. The Tui also has an impressive ability to imitate sounds from its surroundings, such as a dog barking or musical instruments.

The tree at the top left is a Pōhutukawa, which has become known as New Zealand’s Christmas tree over the years. At the northern most point of New Zealand, Cape Reinga, sits a very special Pōhutukawa tree. This tree holds spiritual significance for the Māori as it is believed that from this Pōhutukawa the spirits of the deceased slide down the roots into the sea below and begin their journey back to their homeland of Hawaiki.

The silver fern, which is native to New Zealand, is shown at the bottom right. Its shape represents strength and resistance. The undersides of the silver fern reflect the moonlight, making the trees useful tools for navigating the bush trails at night.

The calendar was first refined using the cold transfer process with ALUFIN^® KPS Reco. This was followed by four-color offset printing of the motifs as well as hot-stamping of the frame, the year, the KURZ logo, and the image of New Zealand with our LUXOR^® 385 MTS. In the last step, the Tui and the flowers were created by means of blind stamping.

We are proud to be able to present you with new motifs each year thanks to our wide and high-quality product range. With our wide range of technologies, we are able to create fascinating imagery year after year. Renowned printers and machine manufacturers from industry are among those who support us in the development and implementation.

You’ve already learned about the background of our 2022 wall calendar. Why not take a look at selected copies from previous years? Let our solutions win you over, and don’t hesitate to contact us! Together with you, we develop concepts on an equal footing and find the right KURZ solution for your needs.