Living in SW-Mecklenburg

The Hauswirt's farm

Mecklenburg's villages were dominated for a long time by the "niederdeutsche Hallenhaus" (lowgerman type of farmhouse). These were huge houses where people and animals lived under the same roof. Hay and grain was stored here as well. In former times there used to be a large gate in each gable to let in the loaded carts. Here, at the "Diele", the carts were unloaded and could leave at the opposite gate. So the animals would not have to be unyoked. Explanations of the sketch: on the left: stables for horses and young cattle, one chamber on the right: stables for the cows, chamber for farmhand(s) between the stables the Diele Flett: the place where the fireplace/stove stands living quarter: left chamber for the retired people (Altenteil), in the middle the sittingroom (Döns), on the right another (sleeping) chamber

All village inhabitants helped building a new house. Just the carpenter's work was left to the carpenters.
A scaffold of framework was erected. The gaps ("Fach") were filled with branches and straw wickerwork and finally were smeared with clay. Sometimes the gaps were filled with "Klump" (Raseneisenerz, sort of raw iron ore found directly beneath the turf). Klump has got a blackish brown colour and can be found quite often in the Southwest. In younger times also brick was used to fill the gaps. The gables were decorated with brick ornaments.
The houses had thatched roofs which mostly disappeared in the 19th and 20th centuries because they were highly flammable.

pictures from Baumgarten/Heim, Landschaft u. Bauernhaus in Mecklenburg, see Literaturliste

A barn and a small stable usually belonged to the farm. They were constructed in the same way as the main farmhouse.
A baking oven had to be erected in a certain distance to the buildings with thatched roofs.
Also a well ("Soot") was necessary and could be found on most farms. Quite often it was build with fieldstones, sometimes it had wooden walls. The buckets could be lowered to the water by a long swivel arm with a pole hanging down from the end at which the bucket was fastened.
To seperate the farm from the road walls made from fieldstones were used while the garden was fenced with wooden fences or hedges.

Altenteiler (retired farmers)

When the farmers had passed the farm over to the heir they retired.
Originally there used to be a small hut (Altenteiler-Katen) on each farm. Later order was given to accomodate the old people inside the main house. The reason probably was to save the money for erecting and conservating these huts which was the duty of the land's owner (government or lord).
When the farm was passed over it was exactly noted what the old people and their minor children would have to expect for "Altenteil".

In a Übergabeprotokoll (protocol when a farm was passed over) from 1759 we can find for the retired farmer's widow:

• 1 brown cow, 6 years old ("braune Kuh von 6 Jahren")
• 1 young calf which is still suckled ("born Kalb")
• 1 pig, 1 year old ("Schwein ins ander Jahr")
• 2 sheep and 2 lambs ("Schaffe und 2 Lämmer")
• 2 old and 2 young geese ("alte und 2 junge Gänse")
• 1 small brass kettle of about 1/2 bucket volume ("Meßings Keßel ... etwan ½ Eymer Waßer haltend")
• 1 small cupboard for food ("Eß Schap")

In spite of the exactly noted conditions old and young farmers quarrelled quite often. Sometimes the young ones didn't do their duties concerning the old ones, sometimes the old ones interfered too much in the farmwork. Sometimes a widowed Altenteiler wanted to marry again and his or her children were not willing to grant the new partner the same conditions as the deceased one. Then the parties went to the authorities to regulate the quarrel.

Living conditions

Especially in the Southwest all family members used to sleep in one room and only the farmhands had their own chambers which they sometimes had to share with other farmhands. So it was quite naturally that quarrels ocurred. When a farm had no own cottage for the retired people they tried to seperate an own chamber for the old ones to obtain more privacy. At this point latest the thoroughfare house with two gates changed into a house with a living room wing and a working wing with stables.
In a document of 1679 it is told that the old couple slept in their beds in recesses on the large Diele. The farmmaid had her bed on a low attic on the Diele. There were no doors or walls or even curtains to separate the sleeping place from the Diele.

From farm documents we know very well what equipment they had. The inventaries which were drawn every time the farm was passed over show it well.
It is interesting that the equipment didn't change much between 1730 and 1880. It also was nearly identical at the different farms because the "Hofwehr" was determined precisely. This Hofwehr belonged to the farm and had to be complete when the farm was passed over. The farmer wasn't allowed to sell anything of the Hofwehr and had to substitute losses.
The Schulzen (mayors) usually were better equipped.

The avarage farmer used to have two carts with equipment, two ploughs, bridles and yokes for horses and oxen, and sledges for the transport of hay and wood. Surplus tools like hayforks, dungforks, scythes, flails, spades, chaff-cutter, axes, drills, plane and saws and grinding tools. A "Plaggeisen" (turf cutter) was used to cut turf (forest or grass turf) as stable strew.
Sometimes peat-cutters are mentioned. They were used mainly for cutting peat of course, but in a document of 1759 we read about a Torff Spaden mit ein langen Stiel welchen der Sohn Andres Gauerck zum mordlichen Gewehr gebraucht (a peat-cutter with a long handle which was used by the farmer's son Andres Gauerck for a murderous attack). We don't know exactly from this document what Andres had been doing with the peat-cutter. He probably had threatened the Leussow manor's manager. Shortly after it Andres was taken to Dömitz prison because of his cheeky and improper behaviour.
Potatoe hoes (Potagenhacken) we find at the end of the 18th century for the first time but they are mentioned only occasionally .

The household appliance consisted of different sized kettles and "Grapen" (pot with three legs) made from copper, brass or iron. Usually there were three ones in a house. People also had beertons, tubs, buckets, a cabbage masher with a board for making "Sauerkraut" (pickled cabbage), earthenware ("Irdenzeug"), kneading trough, wooden spoons, sometimes a beermug, a butter cask, a lightener and scales ("Desemer"). Quite often the farm woman brought with her a loom, spinning wheel and a tool to break flax.

The furniture was very simple. Usually it consisted of a table, a bench, 2 chairs, a cupboard, a chest ("Lade"), a board for the crockery, sometimes a little cupboard for the food ("Eßschapp"), a wooden armchair and in the 19th century a clock.
One family had two or three beds which were used by several persons.
Very simple fire extinguish tools (ladder, bucket, hook) completed the household.

The women cooked on the Diele. In old times there was an open fire either directly on the floor or on a low platform. Later we find the "Schwibbogen" (see illustration). Either the kettles hang on iron chains or the pots were standing directly on the fire. Sometimes the retired people had an own stove; otherwise a part was reserved for them on the main stove. The smoke found it's way through the Diele and escaped through a hole in the gabel. People used it to smoke meat and sausages, and also the stored grain was conservated. This open fireplaces were very dangerous of course. Again and again sparks set the houses on fire and sometimes a whole village burned down.

illustrations from Baumgarten/Heim, Landschaft u. Bauernhaus in Mecklenburg, see Literaturliste

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