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Mecklenburg-Schwerin Business and Occupations (view source)
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'''Shepherds''' | '''Shepherds''' | ||
<br>Almost all manors in Mecklenburg were involved in sheep rearing. This activity was overseen by so called Schafmeister or Schäfereipächter. They in turn hired a shepherd (Schäferknecht), a man who had learned the sheep business from his father and was able to profitably do his craft. He dealt with wool and processing of sheep’s milk. It was possible for a shepherd to lease a sheep business for 2 years or more. Leasing was not the only option, a manor lord may have hired a shepherd as a wage earner. The shepherd would have a third of a share in the herd. The Schafmeister in turn would also give a share to his hired shepherds. A shepherd was a free man, not a serf. He often changed his workplace. He also could be hired by a village. The shepherd’s profession was looked at as “unehrlich” (dishonest) because his standing as an outsider and the nature of his profession raised suspicion. He was able to work for his own interest, i.e., he was concerned about his very own sheep first. People recognized his animals by their good nutritional condition and illnesses were found less among his property.<br>If your ancestor was a shepherd in Mecklenburg, you may have the problem of not finding your family members in one parish only. Shepherds were also taxpayers and they went to church for confessions. Pastors in Mecklenburg had to record all persons age 14 and up coming to confession. Such lists exist for 1704 und 1751 and represent the first census records for Mecklenburg. A shepherd can be traced through documents known as '''Steuerlisten''' and '''Beichtkinderverzeichnisse'''. A list of shepherds and their status and circumstance was printed in Zeitschrift für ''Niederdeutsche Familienkunde'', 42, Jahrgang Heft 6, November 1967, '''Schäfer in Mecklenburg '''by Ernst Ritter. The book is available through the | <br>Almost all manors in Mecklenburg were involved in sheep rearing. This activity was overseen by so called Schafmeister or Schäfereipächter. They in turn hired a shepherd (Schäferknecht), a man who had learned the sheep business from his father and was able to profitably do his craft. He dealt with wool and processing of sheep’s milk. It was possible for a shepherd to lease a sheep business for 2 years or more. Leasing was not the only option, a manor lord may have hired a shepherd as a wage earner. The shepherd would have a third of a share in the herd. The Schafmeister in turn would also give a share to his hired shepherds. A shepherd was a free man, not a serf. He often changed his workplace. He also could be hired by a village. The shepherd’s profession was looked at as “unehrlich” (dishonest) because his standing as an outsider and the nature of his profession raised suspicion. He was able to work for his own interest, i.e., he was concerned about his very own sheep first. People recognized his animals by their good nutritional condition and illnesses were found less among his property.<br>If your ancestor was a shepherd in Mecklenburg, you may have the problem of not finding your family members in one parish only. Shepherds were also taxpayers and they went to church for confessions. Pastors in Mecklenburg had to record all persons age 14 and up coming to confession. Such lists exist for 1704 und 1751 and represent the first census records for Mecklenburg. A shepherd can be traced through documents known as '''Steuerlisten''' and '''Beichtkinderverzeichnisse'''. A list of shepherds and their status and circumstance was printed in Zeitschrift für ''Niederdeutsche Familienkunde'', 42, Jahrgang Heft 6, November 1967, '''Schäfer in Mecklenburg '''by Ernst Ritter. The book is available through the FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City , Utah, call number 943.5 B2z vol. 42<br> | ||
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The films are starting with number 1676401 and cover the time frame 1823-1902. | The films are starting with number 1676401 and cover the time frame 1823-1902. | ||
=== Journeyman registers === | === Journeyman registers === | ||
After an apprentice had done his three to four years learning his profession he joined the ranks of journeymen. It was expected of him to not just take up employment where he had learned his craft, but go out and learn from other masters skills that would help his career. Journeymen typically would leave their location of employment at certain times of the year; Easter or Michaelis (after the harvest was in). The length of their employment varied from six months to three years. When a journeyman came to another district he could count on being greeted, registered and helped to find proper employment. This was a ritual strictly observed. The newcomer could count on lodging until he found a new master. In order to find a decent situation, a journeyman had to have an excellent reputation which included legitimate birth. Journeymen were regularly monitored and punishment was administered to those who ran away. | |||
Source: Joachim Brügmann.''Das Zunftwesen der Seestadt Wismar bis zum Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts ''in Mecklenburgische Jahrbücher, Bd. 99 (1935) | |||
<br> | The collection of the FamilySearch Library includes a journeyman register for the city of Rostock which covers the years 1841-1902 (starting with film 1676395). In these documents the family historian finds information on persons who moved in and out of the city and other vital information such as:<br>Name<br>Profession<br>Birthplace<br>Passport issued where, when, and for how long<br>Employment at: name of master and starting date<br>Employment termination and date<br>Destination<br>Later entries also give the applicant’s residence<br>as well as the employer’s addess | ||
[[Category:Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] | [[Category:Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Empire]] | ||