The Quarry Worker’s Wife

“A village in a rough mountainous region” – this is how J. W. Otto Richter succinctly described the town of Lindlar in his “Vaterlandskunde” of 1891. Indeed, scarcity prevailed in many households: agricultural yields were barely enough to feed their own families. For many men, the dangerous work in the quarries remained the only way to secure an income.

Work came to a halt during frost and snow. During these difficult times, the stonecutters sought temporary employment in agriculture, forestry or the metal industry – much to the annoyance of the file-cutters in Lindlar, who feared the cheap labour competition. Others performed auxiliary work for the community or made besoms at home with the whole family. A memorial on Eichholzstrasse is dedicated to the “Lenkler Bessembenger”.

The stonecutters’ wives took care of the household, the (often large number of) children, farming and the animals. One cow and a few chickens yielded rather meagre amounts of milk and meat. The frugal goat, known as the “poor man’s cow”, also became widespread. The women also cultivated large gardens. Potatoes, beans and fruit were stored, preserved and dried to sustain the family during the long winter. From these yields, the stonecutters’ wives prepared meals, such as cabbage with goat milk or broad beans with (a little) bacon, for their husbands up to three times a day. The children carried the meals in metal containers to the quarries, where they were warmed up in a water bath on the blacksmith’s fire.

In the 1920s, the quarry workers and their families in Lindlar and Frielingsdorf formed a consumer cooperative. By purchasing larger quantities of food, they could establish lower purchase prices. The sale took place in their own store. If money was scarce, they were allowed to buy on credit and pay later. Cheap bread from the large Steegmann bakery in Overath-Immekeppel proved to be the main source of revenue.