Enlightenment Invalids Company

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The so-called Erleuchtungs- disability -Compagnie, and disability-Enlightenment company was a militarily organized company to operate and maintain the group consisting of oil lanterns street lighting in Berlin . The company was set up in 1803.

history

In 1803 all of Berlin was equipped with street lighting. The main streets had got enough lanterns, the side streets only a few. Likewise, the amount of oil was usually so limited that the lanterns went out around midnight.

Initially, the Enlightenment Invalids Company consisted of 60 men ( lighting soldiers or lantern keepers ). They were soldiers with an average age of 57 years. The company's staff consisted of a sergeant , five non-commissioned officers and an officer who, as director, was in charge of supervision. The company's first chief was its co-initiator, a captain of the artillery. D. Karl Neander of Petersheiden(1761-1842). The king took over three fifths of the annual financing of more than 38,000 thalers. The rest was financed by doubling the night watchman costs (house tax) that had to be paid by the residents. The director received 1,000 thalers a year, the sergeant 120 thalers, each sergeant 96 thalers and each soldier 48 thalers. The proportionate wages were paid every five days.

From 1810/11 onwards, the costs for the Enlightenment Invalids Company, including material, were paid in full from the state treasury, with an annual amount of 30,000 thalers planned from 1815.

In the afternoon, the NCOs checked the lamps and noted the condition of the lanterns and the level of oil. The contamination of the glass and the condition of the wick were also checked. At the beginning of twilight, the respective teams lit the fire. The company was subordinate to the Berlin Police Directorate. The city was divided into 60 (lantern) districts; Each non-commissioned officer was in charge of 12 areas that formed a corporal body. The districts in the city center were equipped with almost 50 large lanterns, while the districts in the outer area of ​​the city were illuminated with almost 60 small lanterns. The company had its headquarters and the oil depot at Klosterstrasse 75.

The company members wore their own uniform , including a blue jacket with a dark red collar. The NCOs were allowed to wield a short saber . The company received new gloves, shirts and stockings every year, and new uniforms every two years.

Anyone who had served a longer service in the Enlightenment Invalids Company could count on a night watchman or accommodation in the invalids' house .

With the introduction of the gas lanterns in 1826, the company consisted of 84 men and was transferred to the Gas-Enlightenment-Compagnie , with the subordination under the English gas company Imperial Continental Gas Association (ICGA). The company continued to take care of the still existing oil lanterns. The company was a spin-off of the London ICGA and, according to a contract with the city of Berlin, was responsible for the “enlightenment” of the city for 21 years, regardless of whether it was oil or gas lamps. In addition to an English engineer who ran the company, there was a deputy who held the office of government building manager . Until 1847 there was a monopoly for the lighting of the city, whereby both oil and gas lanterns continued to be used.

literature

  • Karl Neander von Petersheiden and Louis von Voss : Agenda, the Enlightenment of Berlin and the Invaliden Compagnie established for this purpose concerning Berlin . 1804.
  • Adolf Streckfuß : 500 years of Berlin history, from fishing village to cosmopolitan city, history and legend . Goldschmidt, 1886, pp. 572 + 573.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Herbert Liman: More light: History of Berlin street lighting . Haude & Spener, 2000, ISBN 978-3-7759-0429-2 , pp. 15 ( google.com [accessed May 2, 2021]).
  2. ^ A b Landesarchiv Berlin, Heike Schroll: The Landesarchiv Berlin and its holdings . BWV, Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, 2003, ISBN 978-3-8305-0325-5 , p. 69 ( google.de [accessed on May 2, 2021]).
  3. ↑ a b c d James Hobrecht : Development of traffic conditions in Berlin . Ernst and Son, Berlin, 1893, p. 19.
  4. ^ A b c Johann Christian Gaedicke: Lexicon of Berlin . 1806, p. 604 ( google.de [accessed on May 2, 2021]).
  5. ^ A b German Museum of Technology Berlin: Fire and Flame for Berlin: 170 years of gas in Berlin, 150 years of municipal gas works . Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1997, ISBN 978-3-87584-641-6 , p. 39 ( google.de [accessed on May 2, 2021]).
  6. ↑ Ferdinand Freiherr von Ledebur: The history of the German non-commissioned officer: ed. from the Reichstreubund Former professional volunteer. Editor . Junker and Dünahaupt, 1939, p. 144 ( google.com [accessed May 31, 2021]).
  7. ^ Johann Christian Gaedicke: Lexicon of Berlin . 1806, p. 605 ( google.com [accessed May 3, 2021]).
  8. ↑ a b c J. G. Helling: Historical-statistical-topographical pocket book of Berlin and its immediate surroundings . 1830, p. 403 ( google.de [accessed on May 2, 2021]).
  9. ^ Yearbook for Brandenburg State History . 1976, p. 53 ( google.de [accessed on May 2, 2021]).
  10. ↑ JG Helling: Historical-statistical-topographical pocket book of Berlin and its immediate surroundings . 1830, p. 120 ( google.de [accessed June 14, 2021]).
  11. ^ Berlin (Germany) State Statistical Office: Statistical Yearbook . 1874, p. 186 ( google.com [accessed June 14, 2021]).