Am reading
oh my, has our view of history changed since he wrote this book. Especially our knowledge about the dissolution of the Roman Empire no longer ascribes it to moral decay that even the injection of youthful Germanic spirit and morally strict Christendom could not reverse.
#history
#historycycle #history #cologne #koeln
As I’m living here, and as Cologne provides 2000 years of history, this is as good a place as any to look at as an extended retirement project.
Cologne is situated directly on the Rhine and has had harbour infrastructure since Roman times. Also Cologne lies at the point where the Lower Rhine transitions into the Middle Rhine which need quite different vessels to use.
Below Cologne the Aak(e) was the freight ship adapted to the Lower Rhine and for coastal shipping.
The Oberländer (Mainzer Lade) was a flat bottomed ship that could also drive up the shore. These ships traded up the Rhine to Mainz and beyond.
But the city also was at the crossing of various land based trade routes, for example the Via Regia connecting the Atlantic and the Cracow.
In any village, town or city trading will occur. If the city lies on a trading route, traders will pass. If it lays at a cross road, many traders will pass. If, like Cologne, it lies at the heart of many roads and a major river, where also for navigational reasons two different ship types are used for travel up stream versus down stream, you have opportunities
Also Cologne was an important administrative center. First as the capital of the Roman province of Lower Germany, as a bishops, later archbishops seat and the Center of a church province that included the sees of Cambrai, Lüttich, Minden, Münster, Osnabrück and Utrecht.
The Archbishop of Cologne also, at one time or another, as the Duke of Lothringen, the Chancellor of the HRE for Italy, an Elector of the HRE, the so called Erzstift which included large landholdings including much of Westphalia.
For a long time they were also the undisputed, later disputed, later titular, head of the city itself (again a slight simplification of several hundred years of development.
In any case these factors led to Cologne being one of the largest trading cities north of the Alps.
Sar(w) is an old German word relating to or meaning armour. A Woerter, Worter or Woerter is someone who makes, in this case armour.
Specifically the Sarwoerters started out making mail and then, later, also plate armour.
The trade is documented in Cologne from 1396 onwards. In that year various guilds but also brotherhoods of merchants and similar were grouped into 24 Gaffeln, who (1) were who elected the city councillors (much simplification here) and (2) were responsible for the defence of a section of the city walls and (3) were part feasting and part mutual aid societies (much simplification here).
What this tells us, the trade needs to be (much) older, because in a “revolutionary” setting you don’t become the eponym of one of the new Gaffeln who will share power in the city, if you are small and new.
Who knows?
The oldest known Schreinsbuch entry (medieval land registry) has an Ezelin Loricator as a witness in 1150. His “colleague” Arnoldus receives half a house as dowry when he marries Agnes, the daughter of Gerardus some time before 1200.
In the late 13th century we find Adam, and (another?) Adam plus wives Gertrude and Reynerus with wives Elisabeth.
This shows at least 2 centuries before the Gaffel formation.
The quest was to identify places in or around Cologne, having to do with a traiding good, go there by cycle and take photos.
Places got identified, but, due to progress and of course the second world war, there are no historic buildings left to photograph. Even the part of the city walls that the Sarwoerter were responsible for, no longer stands.
I’ll do the trips anyway while I ponder a new research topic and collect armour collection museums to visit.
So, how is my “research” going?
The answer is “perhaps” - new sources are going into my stash (Obsidian), information piles on, BUT, the goal remains elusive.
The goal remains, spent my retirement time cycling with my camera to places where trading goods of medieval Cologne had been produced, traded or used.
After the “success” of looking at Rhenish Stoneware I thought that medieaval harnesses might be a good next topic.
Oh my.
Getting the internet to even acknowledge an armour making industry in medieval Cologne was tricky. Mainly because the internet focuses on the flashy princely armour made in places like Augsburg and Nürnberg and ignores the workman like stuff, provided to troops in the 30 and 80 year wars.
Also the scholarly reception of armour and of specific guilds and trades seems to be sketchy. Here I’m open (desperate) for correction.
What we know:
But all that is not really cyclable or photographable
Thankfully @bookandswordblog@scholar.social helped with some sources, of which
proved especially helpful.
The “Zwei Jahrtausende …” confirmed what I already knew, but also provided a few hundred suources for my overall “trading goods” search, but also for the harnesses. In the meantime I found a physical copy online for 7 € including shipping, so I’ll never be without it again, even when I get my loaner back to the library.
“The armourers …” went into details and also provided more sources, many of which were downloadable which is kind of ideal for Obsidian ;-)
I’m now more confident, that I can find places to cycle to and photograph.
So, thanks to @bookandswordblog@scholar.social and @mrundkvist@archaeo.social who made the connection
Well, my research is going poorly. What research I hear you ask? Well, short version I want to cycle to the production sites of medieval Colognes trade goods…
The first trade goods were Rhenish Stoneware goods. And it went quite well, apart from a few museums being closed for renovations.
Cool, I put the missing museums on a list and contemplated my next coup.
I chose harnesses. Why, I hear you ask!
Easy, in my collection of digitised books, and there’ll be a post about that later, the making and the makers of harnesses are well attested.
Turning this into actually visitabel locations remains elusive.
It turns out, I was lucky with stoneware. In the mid 19th century stoneware was first discovered by collectors and the systematised by scholars. And the books have been digitised and are easily accessible.
#history #geschichte #historycycle
Today visit was a little frustrating.
Nice exhibits, appropriately labelled, starting with Roman period earthenware and continuing to contemporary and technical ceramics.
How clay is dug, how a potters wheel is used, how stoneware is burnt, including a very nice replica Kannenofen.
Of course Bartmänner are also on display.
Some of the connections to Siegburg, Raeren, Frechen, Cologne are mentioned, but, of the complex trade that carried the finished wares all over the world, no mention.
Of how the decorations on the stoneware aimed at a growing affluent group of lesser nobility, clergy and trades and let the potters compete with cheaper earthenware and more expensive pewter, no word.
There is a whole wall of stoneware bottles. There is a mention, that they were produced to order for Portuguese wine, English gin, sparkling water… But again, no mention of the trade routes.
The website is better, but has no links to sources. Still, if you are close, a fun morning or afternoon.
#historycycle #RhenishStoneware #photography #fotografie @photography@fedigroups.social
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
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.
