AUS-QLD-SE-Germans-L Archives

From: "Beverly Markham" <>
Subject: Ancestor Occupation
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 07:06:38 -0000

Dear Listers, I ran across this on the Pommern page. Some of us had
ancestors whose occupations were as farmers on an estate. I thought this
might be of interest to those of us whose ancestors fall into this category.
I realize that this does not apply to each and every one of us, but it does
give some insight into the social structure of Germany (in this case
Pommern) and how some of our ancestors had to live.
I am convinced that it was a monumental effort for most , if not all, of
them to leave Germany and start a new life in Australia.
Their life in Germany was terribly hard and in Australia it was not
appreciably easier either.
I am glad that my ancestors moved to Australia so that I could be born in
such good circumstances.
cheers to all, Beverly.
-----Original Message-----
From: Gunthard Stuebs <>
To: <>
Date: Sunday, August 01, 1999 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: Tagelohner

>Am 29 Jul 99 schrieb Pautz Mark:
>> Tagelohner: Labourers, particularly agricultural workers, who are not
>> constantly employed in the long term or over extended periods of time.
>> Generally employed by the day (or for a specific assignment), and thus
>> paid by the day.
>
>As to my knowledge this does not fit the term Tageloehner right. A Tage-
>loehner was a man who usually worked on an estate. Usually he had a com-
>plete family (to feed). He lived with his family in houses on/near the
>estate (often he had only one or two rooms for a large family), where the
>houses where possessed by the estate owner. He had a complete "household
>effects" but surely not much/rich. Partially he owned animals like a cow
>which was very important for feeding the family, especially the children
>(milk, the butter was often sold to get a little additional income). He
>had to work not alone but usually with another worker and sometimes his
>wife too. If he had no son which was old enough to work with him he had
>to pay and feed (which means to give away something where they had not
>much for themselves) another man, who was usually called Hofgaenger, if I
>remember right. The Tageloehner got what he earned partially in money and
>partially in "deputat" -- fire/heating material and food, e.g. potatoes
>(hope I am better than the former vice-president :-)) after harvest time.
>
>So, this means that he could not move every day - because payment was NOT
>on a daily basis and it was effort to move with all he had. As to my
>knowledge he was employed on a yearly basis.
>And even now it was not that way that they moved every year to another
>estate. If they were content (the conditions on other estates were sure-
>ly not better; so they also could not improve) they stayed at the estate
>often the life long. Also the estate owners were interested that their
>workers did not change every year.
>
>And don't let us forget that the Tageloehners were poor, POOR.
>
>There are no books which deal with all these occupations in the matter
>that one gets a real "inside view" (you all know that my english is bad,
>stilted :-) so one has to read a lot books with single information to get
>an overview/all aspects.
>Good books are for instance the storybooks of E. v. Oertzen or "Das Leben
>eines Landarbeiters".
>
>Regards, Gunthard
>--
>* Gunthard Stübs * e-mail: *
>* Konstanz, Germany * *

This thread:

• Ancestor Occupation by "Beverly Markham" <>