Swords layered

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The sword layer system is an old tradition that is still actively practiced in the 21st century, of course modernized. The shift system or neighborhood system comes from the Middle Ages, but is still known in a few cities. One of these cities is Schwerte in the Unna district.

The term “stratum” for the neighborhood is neuter because it refers to a spatial area, namely the subdistrict of a city.

history

When the shift system was first established, power lay solely in the hands of long-established and wealthy councilors. Gradually, in more and more cities, ordinary citizens also fought for the right to gain influence in the city government. In various cities, the term “making shifts ” was used for this (such as the Braunschweiger Schichte ). Schwerte is one of the few cities in which the shift system is still cultivated in this tradition today. Here the social class has no direct influence on council decisions, but is understood and used by the council and administration as a link to the citizen.

Shifts still active today

Cities with a layer system that is still active today are z. B. Schwerte and Schwelm (there, however, only from the 1930s). The annual Heimatfest in Schwelm is z. B. an activity of the local neighborhoods (class). Perhaps there are even more cities with an active neighborhood system (layer system), because not all of them use the medieval expression: "layer".

This expression is still used in Schwerte. However, the tradition is adapted to today's conditions and is still very actively practiced. The old traditions have been adapted again and again to the new times, thereby bringing the original meaning of history - influence on the city government - into the 21st century.

History of the swords stratification

Schwerte was divided into ten subdistricts, the layer, in the 15th century at the instigation of the citizens. These ten layers, which were located within the former city walls, still exist today. From 1872 further layers were added outside the walls. Smaller neighborhoods formed within the class, which probably seemed too big for the residents at the time.

At that time the class had representatives in the city council and were committed to the community. For example, street cleaning or fire protection was a shift duty. These duties were carried out in the smaller neighborhoods. But here people also helped each other in emergencies and shared happiness and sorrow.

In the town of Schwerte, these old traditions of layering are still relevant today. Street cleaning is now the job of the city, but once a year the action "Schwerte putz (t) munter" takes place, which was initiated in 2001 by the then upper class master Diethild Dudeck and above all by the upper class (see structure of the swords class) and the layers being worn. In addition, the mayor takes part in the shift supervisor's conferences, which take place twice a year, and is available there for questions and suggestions. A particular example of the involvement of the class on municipal issues is the current project "Schwerte-Nord traffic concept". For this project the profitable cooperation with the layers and thus with the citizens was recognized by citizens' meetings and invitations to a workshop. The “Schwerte-Nord traffic concept” project has not yet ended and the affected shifts remain involved. The participatory budget, which is currently planned but not yet decided, is a project for which the class can be a good link between city and citizen.

There are currently 26 more or less active layers in Schwerte. All can be found on the common website of the Schwerter Schichte. In addition, individual layers (e.g. layer 19) have their own Internet pages. Layer 1 is the oldest and Layer 24 is the youngest (re-established in 2009). One layer (Schwerte-Ost) is in the founding phase. Every citizen is entitled to suggest the establishment of a shift in his residential area.

Building the swords layer

Even at the beginning of the shift system in Schwerte, a 1st and a 2nd shift supervisor were at the head of the shift. Both were elected for one year by the neighbors present at the annual meeting. That's still like that. In most of the Schwerter shifts there is now an elected board of directors in addition to the shift supervisors (e.g. also a member for the treasury).

As a rule, the position of the 1st shift supervisor is transferred to the 2nd shift supervisor at midnight at the annual shift party. A new 2nd shift supervisor is elected beforehand. There is no uniform electoral regulation for the other members of the Executive Board; each shift determines that itself. The two shift supervisors and the board of directors are supported by the so-called shift helper group. These are interested and committed neighbors who support the shift supervisor's decisions and help with the various activities.

Over time, the male domain of the shift supervisor became accessible to women, so there are now also female shift supervisors. Except in the Westhofen district, there a different shift system (Sup-Peiter) has been preserved even after the incorporation.

As a rule, a shift is not a club, the exception in Schwerte is shift 19 “Gänsewinkel”. Originally, a distinction was made between hereditary neighbors and resident neighbors. The hereditary neighbors were the homeowners on the shift. They bought this right by paying one tonne of beer (114.5 l) and later by paying a cash donation to the shift fund. Neighboring inheritance law applied to the entire family for life. Neighbors were tenants who acquired this right by paying an annual fee. Today you are a neighbor on a shift because you live there without pay and regardless of whether you are a homeowner or a tenant. Often, neighbors remain members of the shift helper and the shift because they have lived there for a long time or for other reasons of loyalty.

One layer is politically and religiously neutral and the work is voluntary for everyone. Not all shifts have written statutes and only one shift is known to receive some kind of annual membership fee from its neighbors.

Swords upper class

The upper class has existed in Schwerte since 1950. After the shift system in Schwerte had expired in the early 1930s and during the Second World War, Norbert Kaufhold reactivated the shift system in 1950 by founding the upper class. In the post-war period in particular, neighborly coexistence was important for neighbors and the community.

The upper layer forms the connection between the individual layers, so to speak. As with the individual shifts, there is a 1st and a 2nd upper shift supervisor. However, the change is not as automatic as with the individual shifts. Because the board of directors is elected for 5 years at one of the two annual shift supervisor conferences. The mayor is a born member of the upper class and is available for questions and suggestions at the two shift supervisors' conferences.

The board consists of two managing directors, two cashiers, five assessors and the mayor. There is also an "honorary advisory board" consisting of up to five members with an advisory function. Of course, there are also female board members in the upper class. Just like the individual class, party-political and religious neutrality is the supreme principle of the work of the upper class.

In March 2014 the Schwerter Schicht elect a new upper-class master. Christopher Wartenberg is elected the youngest upper-class master since 1950. In addition, the Schwerter Oberschicht became a registered association in autumn 2014 and is now called "Oberschicht der Schwerter Nachbarschaften eV" The Schwerter layer system is thus adapting to the requirements of the 21st century.

In August 2015, the swords celebrate 65 years of upper class swords and 450 years of layered swords.

Activities of the swords class

How active a shift is and which activities take place in the individual shifts are completely different. In all active shifts it is customary to celebrate a shift festival at the beginning of each year. In addition to the cozy celebration, the election of the new 2nd shift supervisor and the midnight shift supervisor change are the most important items on the program of this festival. In addition, the shifts take part in the “Schwerte putz (t) munter” campaign, organize street, summer or children's parties, go on trips together, etc. The Schnadegang (see also Schnadegang shift 24) is carried out in several shifts a year.

Especially in our modern times, shifts should not only be seen as a fun leisure time event with music, dance and excursions. The shift system can, following on from the original tradition, offer a good opportunity for citizens to participate in municipal issues.

There is also a good example of this in Schwerte. In 2010 the shift leaders and helpers in shifts 14, 16 and 24 were asked to collect suggestions, wishes and criticisms of road traffic in their respective shift areas in their neighborhood. These suggestions and wishes were discussed at a workshop in which the city, a planning office, representatives of the strata concerned, interest groups and interested citizens took part. The planning office then processed this in the draft for the "Schwerte-Nord overall traffic concept". The shift continues to be involved in the development of this concept.

Schnadegang layer 24

The word "Schnade" means "swath" or "border". A Schnadegang is therefore a tightrope walk. Even at the beginning of the shift system in Schwerte, such twists and turns were made to control the borders. Because before the land survey, boundary stones were the only clues for the size of the fields and properties. Such a boundary stone was quickly moved and so the own land was increased at the expense of the neighbor. Such border violations should be recognized in the case of Schnadeggang. Today, the Schnadegganges are more used to detect wild rubbish dumps or to obstruct traffic due to poorly maintained footpaths or plants growing overgrown in footpaths or lanes. These obstructions are then reported to the city or the relevant neighbors so that they can be removed.

In layer area 24 there is a historically interesting story in connection with the Schnadegang. A sword legend tells of a man who was relocated to a boundary stone in the "Abergunst", today's street "Auf der Gunst". The reasons for a prohibited landmark relocation were always envy or greed. The field that had been enlarged in this unjust way was then popularly known as "Neidacker" or "Superbunst". In fact, there is the field name “Auf der Abergunst” in Schwerte. When this corridor was built on, the street wanted to be given the same name. The residents forbade this negative designation. At her insistence, the name "Auf der Gunst" was chosen. This is how today's street name came about.

Preserve history from the stratified areas

Historically interesting stories of the residential area can be preserved through the activities of the class and the contact between neighbors of all generations. Often it is only stories from older neighbors that cannot always be substantiated by written sources. Still, such stories are worth keeping. In layer area 24 there are at least two such stories.

There is said to have been a so-called “Bockstation” in the valley path. It was probably not a community-owned buck station, but a private goat breeding facility. Several billy goats were kept there, as an older neighbor who worked as a craftsman reported. People brought their (dairy) goats there until the early 1960s when they wanted offspring. Goats were also called "the little man's cow" or "miner's cow". Many kept goats in our then still quite rural environment. This story is not only told by many older neighbors, but is also evidenced by a copy of an application from 1937 in which an application is made to buy two more billy goats.

There will also be a house on Talweg that used to stand on Postplatz and had to make way for the new Schwerter Post building there. A 90-year-old neighbor reports that the house that was moved was called the "Homelsche House" and that it is in Talweg. Research on this story has shown that it is likely two different stories. These were then blended together over time. In fact, the classicist villa of judge Brügmann had to give way to the new post office in 1907. No evidence could be found for the faithful reconstruction of this villa. It is more likely that the demolition material was reused as building material. Even today a house in rural areas is more likely to be referred to by the name of the resident than by the house number required by post. It used to be more common. In the second half of the 1920s, the Otto Homel family moved from Wilhelmstrasse to Talweg. Since the Homel family is a well-known sword family, the name "Homelsche Haus" was created for the house in Talweg.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Schwerte putz (t) lively"
  2. ↑ Participatory budgeting is not just the distribution of finances - Ruhr Nachrichten local section Schwerte June 7th 2011 edition
  3. ↑ www.schichtwesen.schwerte.de
  4. ↑ Layer 24
  5. ↑ Swords sagas, Volume I (PDF; 557 kB)

Web links

literature

  • Norbert Kaufhold: From the swords layers and neighborhoods. Swords 1956.
  • Winfried Reininghaus: Westphalian neighborhoods as social groups of the guild type. Comments on the occasion of new studies on neighborhoods and clubs. In: Westphalian research . Vol. 31, 1981, pp. 124-131 (PDF) .
  • Gerhard Hallen: History and neighborhoods in old Schwerte. Swords 1995.
  • Klaus Halfpap: The sword layer system - a social science analysis. In: Märkisches Jahrbuch für Geschichte . Vol. 110, 2010, pp. 302 ff.
  • Christopher Wartenberg: The swords layer system. Structure and social function. Munich 2012.