Scharmbeck cloth makers guild
The Scharmbeck clothmaker's guild was a regional association of craftsmen, which existed from 1583 to 1903 in the "Scharmbeck" patch, which is now a district of Osterholz-Scharmbeck in the Osterholz district . The cloth makers 'guild made Scharmbeck one of the early large cloth makers' settlements in the Landdrostei Stade (later the administrative district of Stade ).
Beginnings
There is evidence that the Germanic Chauken already wore linen made of wool . In the sense of the general division of labor in society, which accompanied or represented progress, the production was taken over by specialists. In this way, Osterholz-Scharmbeck became one of the oldest cloth makers in Lower Saxony, because the location on the Scharmbeck brook was particularly favorable for this:
- Enough water to wash the wool.
- Watermills provide energy.
- The wool came from the numerous sheep on the Lüneburg Heath , the number of which reached 5000 in the 16th century.
This naturally attracted other competition, too, and in Scharmbeck, too, a drapery guild was formed in 1581 as a barrier to entry , because in order to be accepted into the guild as a master, the following had to be taught:
- Proof of a three-year apprenticeship with a master cloth maker.
- Good references
- Proof of economic independence, d. H. Non-bondage.
- Payment of 10 thalers to the guild and 10 to the 'landlord'.
Swedish occupation and impending split
As the basis for uniforms and used cloths, cloth-making was almost an "industry" important to the war effort, and so the Scharmbeck cloth- makers were suppliers of cloths for the army during the Swedish era. This contract secured their "jobs", but not because there was no need for cloth ; the demand was great anyway. The decisive factor was the supply of wool as a raw material , as the Thirty Years War had reduced the number of woolen sheep in the Lüneburg Heath .
But when the cloth makers in Westerbeck delivered inferior quality , there were conflicts with the Scharmbeck drapers . The poor quality of the Westerbeckers had already meant that the journeymen of the guild in Hamburg , Lübeck and Bremen were no longer recognized: now there was even a threat that the guild cloths could not be sold and the delivery contract with the Swedish army would be terminated . The Scharmbeck guild therefore had the guild letter of 1581 confirmed by the Swedes , which they did on June 24, 1708.
In 1712, the Westerbeckers wanted to use the Danish occupation and become self-employed, but on May 9, 1713 Hanover confirmed the Scharmbeckers again , and this attempt by the Westerbeck draperies also failed.
First crisis and government contract
Due to the return under German rule and the wars in other places, the area had 'demilitarized' itself, the Swedish contractors suddenly dropped out of demand for the cloth.
Under Swedish rule, the cloth makers' guild had grown considerably; In 1729 it had the following 'production capacity' of 702 people of the genus:
- Master with his own loom 103
- Master without his own loom 48
- Journeyman 96
- Spinner 455
Overall, far more people were employed in the industry than in the boom times in previous decades, and if one takes into account that the population was perhaps around 2000, then one would speak of an almost catastrophic economic recession today. The local cloth makers moved across the country or had to deliver undyed cloths to Bremen at the lowest prices. When some cloth makers did not even earn enough money to buy raw materials , a new "State Treaty" was needed. The government in Hanover was persuaded to conclude one through an agreed procedure between the estates and the administration.
The conditions were tough and the awards were regulated, but saved the members of the Scharmbeck drapery guild. There was even a new boom as the good quality sparked increased demand from the military . Since the profit opportunities were greater than in agriculture , looms were soon also found in the farmers' living rooms . The number rose to 270 masters who employed around 1,000 people; six fulling mills worked for the cloth makers and when a dye works went into operation, cloths for four regiments could be woven and dyed in Scharmbeck.
Decline through technology
A key point in the decline was that cloth making had remained a craft. The decline began with a homemade problem: the dye works owner Borchert proved to be unreliable and Bremer dye works were able to oust him from the market because they dyed Scharmbecker cloths at the same prices despite additional transport costs , so that the dye works was closed in 1785 due to a lack of orders because Scharmbecker did not have any wanted to take more risk of quality complaints. In addition, a wool magazine was set up, which allowed the division into different qualities and thus offered the basis for quality adjustment through price differentiation . So the Scharmbeck guild was able to save the tarnished reputation through the "wrong dyeing" and the cloths were even exported to America (whereby the lower quality was used for the clothes of the slaves ).
The number of masters leveled off again at 176 by 1839, after the number had decreased mainly due to the military conflicts in the meantime. However, three cloth factories had also sprung up since 1811; von Wilkens, Gelsiek and Hermann Hermeling.
The latter in particular had recognized the signs of the times and sought to increase its vertical range of production by running its own dye works and fulling mill , thus achieving the beginnings of industrial production. However, when the heir committed suicide in 1874, this factory was also closed. In 1903 the Scharmbeck cloth makers' guild dissolved. Osterholz-Scharmbeck has recognized the importance for the development of his city by including three weaver shuttles in its city coat of arms . The city does not have its own cloth-making museum; a weavers' chamber has been set up in the local history museum; but in March 1996 in the district of Osnabrück in Bramsche the clothier Museum Bramsche furnished.
Individual evidence
- ^ Map of the Landdrostei Stade
literature
- Johann Segelken, Osterholz-Scharmbeck: Heimatbuch, Saade Verlag, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1987