On the way back from Raeren I stopped at Töpfereimuseum Langerwehe which is closed for renovations. Have to come back in a year or three.

#HistoryCycle #history #photography #fotografie #steingut #steinzeugkeramik #stoneware #steengoed

Yesterday I drove to #Raeren (pronounced Raaren) to look at some (more) stoneware pottery. Specifically I went here: Töpfereimuseum Raeren

If you’re ever in the area (think Aachen) than it’s WELL worth a visit.

The museum is in a castle.

Inside a nice collection of Rhenish stoneware and on stoneware production and trade. Raeren traded via Colognes Alter Markt but also served some markets themselves. The relatively close Langerwehe produced stoneware mostly for “local” consumption, Raeren produced mostly for long distance (Hanse) trade.

While picking up some of the popular forms of Rhenish stoneware, eg Bartmann Krüge, they also developed distinctive forms.

And here one of the forms used to emboss the jugs (which were produced by the tens of thousands.

If you were a good (large) customer you got your coat of arms on the jugs, which were also used for religious (pro catholic/protestant) or political messaging. Early propaganda/advertising

#HistoryCycle #history #photography #fotografie #steingut #steinzeugkeramik #stoneware #steengoed

Tuesday, some history

We visited the LVR Landesmuseum Bonn as they have a smallish collection of Rhenish stoneware

They are also part of the Bartmann goes global project, which I’m following somewhat precariously.

Anyhow, this is what they have to say about stoneware

Paraphrasing slightly:

Rhenish stoneware, a variety of clay containers made over 400 years ago, is recognized by its shapes and images. Cups and jugs were especially popular. Rhenish stoneware was sold worldwide, making it a global phenomenon.

Potteries in Cologne, Frechen, Raeren, and Siegburg produced Rhenish stoneware. Soft clay was pressed into molds to create various images, from simple designs like flowers and coats-of-arms to scenes from the Bible or other stories. Finally, the containers were fired in kilns.

Rhenish stoneware is exhibited in museums because it was practical and beautiful. It reflects the people’s desire for both practicality and aesthetics over 400 years ago. Many objects were decorated with pictures, a common practice during that period, even among the less affluent.

I quite liked the stoneware exhibited and also the rest of the museum, well worth a visit if you are in Bonn.

Next trip to Raeren, originally I wanted to go to Brühl first, but the museum is only open on Sundays, which does not work for the next few weeks. So, Töpfereimuseum Raeren

My simple project, identify sources of mediaeval Cologne trading goods, has now evolved into a fairly large scale research project.

Everything started so well.

The first trading good I looked at was stoneware. Specifically the Bartmann Krug.

Right period, major production centres well with bicycle distance, most of the production centres even have a museum.

But, some of the information shown at the first two museums seemed to be a bit contradictory. So, as you do, I tried to find some information in books and online. Unfortunately, the publicly accessible books are broad generalist books. Online wasn’t much better. I started downloading papers, which then presented quite another challenge, namely, too much information [1].

I also stumbled across the website of a project between various research institutions called Bartmann goes global another wonderful timesink.

So, with one thing or another, I have now got a growing Obsidian vault with 250+ (and counting) documents. Which I’m now cross referencing [2]. As you do.

[1] as in, eg. Finding the downloadable archive of the Hansische Geschichtsverein, who have been publishing about the handsome, including Cologne, for the last 150 years plus.

[2] which led me to confront my lack of skill with bash and python scripts

#HistoryCycle #steingut #stoneware #steengoed #bycicle #retirement

www.zahr.koeln/2025/11/1…

In that post I visited Frechen to look at the Keramion Museum, follow the Töpferpfad and see, whatever there still is to see. I did, however, manage to miss two excavated kilns.

So, today I went back.

Here is a description of the kilns Töpferhof in der Broichgasse (in German)

The kilns are under this pyramid and since all the windows were covered with raindrops, I couldn’t photograph the inside.

Here, at least, are the signage at the site.

On my Rhenish Stoneware map the next stops should be in Badorf and Pingsdorf, both close to Brühl.

Yesterday I visited the Stadtmuseum Siegburg to pick up on the exploration of Rhenish Stoneware, one of the successful trading goods of medieval Cologne, as previously mentioned here.

Because I wasn’t awfully keen on a 80 km plus bike ride in the winter with snow on the forecast we went by car and also cleared some errands on the way to and from Siegburg.

For background on Siegburgs history, here is Wikipedia on the city.

Unfortunately photographing was not allowed, so only two pictures.

More information on Siegburger Steinzeug, German only, Wikipedia. Siegburg produced two qualities of stoneware, one for domestic consumption and traded all over the surrounding area and the Bergische Land, Wikipedia. And then there was the “good stuff” which was traded from Cologne. Cologne traders came per boat up the Rhine and the Sieg to Siegburg to collect the stoneware, also Siegburg traders brought it to the market in Cologne. From there it went all over the Baltics, Scandinavia, Netherlands and England.

And now for some gruesomeness, the top of Siegburgs pillory:

‘Neujahrsvorsatz’ #FotoVorschlag

Nächste Tour Siegburg, muss nur etwas wärmer werden.

#photography #fotografie #fahrrad

Some more stuff on salt

The Hanse and the Dutch (specifically Zeeland) traded Baiensalz (salt from the Bay de Bourgneuf, Spain and Portugal). This salt trade was possible because it was part of a larger trade network see WIKI german

During the 16th century Zeeland and especially Walcheren was important in this trade and imported, refined and then exported large quantities of salt. Some of this salt traveled over the Rhine to Cologne, where, next to salt from Lüneburg, it was used to salt fish, but also was traded directly, see Trading goods of medieval Cologne and Ventgüter

Here is a map of that flow:

Very slowly getting into a rhythm

Well, almost, it still feels like (fairly extended) vacation, but I’m starting to allow myself to take time for my own stuff.

But talking about vacation, first we went back to Walcheren for another week, which despite the rain, and there was a lot of rain, was glorious. I also took a lot of photographs, so in terms of my retirement plans that also was quite productive.

During our vacation we also visited Arnemuiden, which today is a fairly small, fairly modern looking suburb of Middleburg. Go a few centuries back Arnemuiden was an important harbour on Walcheren, sitting at the mouth of the river Arne which linked Arnemuide with the Verse Meer and thus with international trade. History of Arnemuiden

What piqued my interest is that Arnemuiden was an important trading center for salt. Originally Zeeuwse Zout was made by burning turf, but in the 16th century Iberian and French sea salt was refined on Walcheren.

Part of this salt was used to salt fish, some of which was traded down the Rhine and was then offloaded in Cologne, see Trading Goods of Cologne and especially Ventgüter.

Another part of this salt was traded directly, partly down the Rhine to Cologne, where it was either traded on, or used in the salt fish trade which provisioned large parts of the southern Holy Roman empire with fish for lent and other religious fast days.

In a (not really) surprising twist, cruising the History of Arnemuiden I happened on this page, Rheinisches Steinzeug

Coming back to photography, there was also time for a visit to Cologne Zoo.

Slowly getting there

The first Cologne trading good I’m looking at is stoneware. It was produced in the wider area around Cologne from Raeren in Limburg down to Höhr-Grenzhausen in the Westerwald.

The goods were traded from the Alter Markt in Cologne and went all over northern Europe and from The Netherlands and England to Africa, Indonesia, America (North and South) and to Australia.

Steinzeug

My first trip went to Frechen, though I have to go back as I managed to miss the kilns.

Stoneware from Frechen

The next trip will then probably go to Siegburg.

#retirement #history #cologne #cycling #photography