readers
Hallo Kurt,
I don´t think it will be of much help for you to translate my mail, because
it contains only questions, but I will mail you what is meant by
"Tagelöhner". Furthermore you can find detailed information under this
address:www.milhahnspurensuche.deframeset2.html
Unfortunately this information is only given in German.If you will need
further help, please let us know.
Day laborers (Tagelöhner)are workers who are paid on a daily basis and who
live in small cottages on the estate (Gutshof) owned by the squire
(Gutsherr).They are dependant or employed people and work for the squire.
Quite a few of them work as thrashers (Drescher)or do other casual work on
the estate.
The day laborer and his family have nothing of his own and is property of
the squire. He has to do all the demanded work for the squire and is not
allowed to abandon the estate without the approval of the squire.As service
in return the squire has the obligation to supply the day laborer
adequately.
A day laborer lives together with his family in a small cottage that belongs
to the squire and gets a few acres of arable land for utilization.
Furthermore the day laborer gets free fuel,free medical care, a small daily
wage and a certain amount of the grain crop or grain harvest.
Afer the revolution in 1848 things did improve a bit. The day laborer is now
allowed to send one cow out at feed and gets fodder for his cow.His wife is
now allowed to sell the milk.
As far as I know this was the situation in the eastern provinces of the
former Prussian Empire. Conditions were less harsh in other provinces and
much more liberal. In most other regions in Germany day laborers were not
the personal property of the squire.
I hope this information might be of help for you
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Almut Völker