Jogl table
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The Jogl table is a piece of rustic furniture that is mainly made from spruce , red pine or red beech wood.
It is also known as the "Rhöntisch" in the Rhön, the low mountain range in the triangle of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia, and can still be found there.
The table top can usually be moved; underneath are numerous compartments, a bread tray and an additional cutlery tray. Just above the floor there is a step bar ( called god of gods ), which was used to protect the feet from the cold of the floor. It was also used to kneel on it during family prayers.
Origin and historical significance
The Jogltisch , also called Jokeltisch , was originally built in Joglland , a wooded low mountain range in northern Styria , and was first mentioned in history around the middle of the last millennium by a monk from the Augustinian Canons of Vorau .
Cultural meaning
In the farming family, the jogl table always represented the center of the social living space. Not far from the fireplace or stove, it also served as a cooking area. People ate on the jog table, sat around it, celebrated, mourned, talked, prayed and signed contracts. Since many farming families often had no cupboards and boxes at that time, important documents and objects were often kept under the movable table top.
An interesting literary example can be found in a story by the Austrian writer Peter Rosegger , who describes a scene at the Jogltisch as follows: “The neighbor sat at the table, but didn't cut his bread and didn't want to hear about an amicable comparison. My father pushed himself against the table top, it gave way and pushed itself over the compartment below. Now my father took out a sheet of paper from the many carefully bound papers that were in the room and said, 'You will be signed on it yourself anyway' and presented it to the neighbor. He studied the document briefly and went meekly away. My father pushed the massive maple board back and from that day on I knew where the house's archives were. "
The jog table today
Today, original yogl tables are among the absolute rarities , are very expensive and are rarely offered. Such tables can still be admired in some historical courtyards. Some carpenters are now also offering replicas of the Jogl table , as there has been a trend towards traditional home decor in recent years.