Frank Zeidler has decorated his house with tens of thousands of bottle tops in what started as a side project to bring some calm into his life while caring for his sick mother. — Photos: Jörn Hüneke/dpa
Bottle caps on the walls, on the floor and even on his suit: Frank Zeidler from a town near the German city of Hanover has transformed his home into a colourful, glittering empire made of bottle caps.
The early retiree has glued around 130,000 caps over the years – well beyond what he believes is needed to break a world record.
"What fascinates me is that it calms me down. Every single bottle cap that I stick on and then see shining afterwards," says Zeidler.
His unusual hobby began in 2010 while caring for his mother, who had dementia.
His unusual hobby began in 2010 while caring for his mother, who had dementia.
To bring some calm and balance into his life, he says, he picked up some glue and stuck 2,000 bottle caps to the wall.
"Three days later, I came in and found there were 1,500 on the floor and 500 hanging (at an angle) because they hadn't stuck properly," recalls Zeidler.
It started as a side project to bring some calm into his life while caring for his sick mother.
Since then, setbacks haven't slowed him down. He not only rehung the first 2,000 caps, but has also added around 128,000 more, mostly in the basement of his home in the town of Nienburg.
Today, colourful caps cover ceilings, floors and walls, leaving visitors in awe of the glittering display.
"There are days when I spend seven or eight hours here," says the 62-year-old, who estimates he devotes 20 to 25 hours a week to this ongoing project.
'Bottle Cap Frank' says he devotes 20 to 25 hours a week to his home decoration project.
After a six-year break following his mother's death, Zeidler resumed his passion, which he also showcases on Instagram as "Kronkorken Frank" (Bottle Cap Frank).
He hopes his art will not only impress visitors but also draw attention to the challenges of caring for relatives.
"I am grateful for every nursing home and social service and everything that is available, but where would we be in Germany without family care? Our country would have given up long ago. These people should be put in the spotlight," he notes.
Zeidler also has his eye on the Guinness Book of World Records. "The record currently stands at 108,000, and I’ve easily surpassed that." – by Leonard Fischer/dpa
