1780 – 1830

Of impressive manservants and invisible maids

Division of labour in the country house

Around 1800, most servants in the country house were men. As manservants, they wore ornate “livery”, a uniform which underlined their master’s status. Be it as steward, valet, coachman, huntsman, or groom – men were visible and represented their employer. The situation of female employees was very different. As cook, maid of all work, or nurse, they did not wear livery, as they were supposed to be seen as little as possible. Among the servants, a strict hierarchy prevailed: The steward at the top supervised all the servants and even substituted for the master in his absence. Women held important positions, too: The housekeeper controlled the valuable groceries and took care of the household’s provisioning. But no matter whether servant, maid, housekeeper, or steward, relations with the master remained distanced.

The steward was in charge of the estate’s overall management as well as the accounts. He supervised the entire staff. Every year, he did the final account which listed all the comings and outgoings, both in produce and cash. He was responsible for his master’s income and held a position of trust.

In 1817, the steward at Schloss Dyck, Christian Scheben, earned 250 Reichstaler per year.

The housekeeper enjoyed a position of similar importance to that of the steward. She was in charge of victuals and their careful management. She had to take care of providing sufficient and nutritious meals for both the family and the staff – in some places up to 50 persons per day. Her job included keeping accounts of the supplies of meat, vegetables, eggs, and colonial goods.

In 1817, the housekeeper at Schloss Dyck, Miss Laachs, earned 50 Reichstaler per year.

The valet was often the first one to see the family in the morning and the last one to see them at night. He dressed the master, brushed his hair, and took care of order and cleanliness in the family’s private rooms. In addition to that, he served at table and accompanied the family on their travels.

In 1817, the valet at Schloss Dyck, Anton Jansen, earned 48 Reichstaler per year.

The kitchen maid assisted the cook in the kitchen. She prepared the vegetables, plucked poultry, mixed egg dishes, and washed the heavy pots and pans. Her work was physically demanding, and many kitchen maids only stayed in the country house for a brief period of time before settling down.

In 1817, the kitchen maid at Schloss Dyck, Maria Catharina Baum, earned 24 Reichstaler per year.

The coachman was in charge of the coach and saddle horses, usually assisted by the groom. He spent a lot of time on the road as he not only drove the family around but typically was trusted with courier and chauffeur services on his own. In many instances, he enjoyed the family’s particular trust.

In 1817, the coachman at Schloss Dyck, Joseph Pesch earned 60 Reichstaler per year.

The gamekeeper was in charge of the game and the valuable forests of the estate. These were responsible duties so he was well paid. Usually, the gamekeeper did not live in the country house but occupied a house of his own with his family, located somewhere on the estate.

In 1817, the gamekeeper at Schloss Dyck, Martin Trapp, earned 50 Reichstaler per year.

1880 – 1930

Of Comings and Goings

Temporary Servants

While for a long time most servants in the country house had been men, around 1900 female staff predominated. Many young women worked in country houses to gain experience in the running of a household before they got married. Male servants also stayed for briefer periods of time so that there was a constant coming and going in the servants’ hall. Only a few older and often senior servants remained for longer. This is also true for Schloss Kalbeck on the Lower Rhine – have a look yourself!

Geschlechterverhältnis und Durchschnittsalter: 1914 arbeiteten bereits 11 Frauen und nur 3 Männer auf Kalbeck, sie waren jeweils etwa um die 30 Jahre alt.

Dreizehn Jahre später, 1927, arbeiteten nur noch Frauen auf Kalbeck, die im Durchschnitt 30 Jahre alt waren.

1945 – 1990

Of good souls
and empty houses

The number of servants decreases

Over time, fewer and fewer servants worked in the country house. Particularly from the 1960s there were hardly any staff left. Not only long working hours but also bad pay discouraged possible employees from working in the country house. In addition, many owners increasingly had to budget; some of them could hardly afford to keep up the house. If the money for central heating and staff was missing, the mistress herself ran from one coal-burning stove to the other. The fewer personnel were employed in country house, the more the owners started to appreciate individual efforts: The ideal of the dedicated and long standing companion emerged. This was also the image of Rudolf Heinemann, who worked for many years in the Rhenish house Rankenberg. For his service, he was even awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 1962. He was more than just an employee – rather, he was a leftover from the “good old times,” as the newspaper cuttings demonstrate.

Newspaper article about Rudolf Heinemann

Haus Rankenberg in Bornheim

Perspectives

Servant

1800

Housekeeper

1900

House owner

1970

Isn’t he fancy?

Maria Hauser, Servant

The new manservant really looks smashing in his livery. But he is also quite full of himself. And he doesn’t seem to know yet that he ought not to talk big and make jokes during dinner. The housekeeper already looks quite grim. When the steward returns from the city, he’ll give the new servant a proper dressing-down.

Let’s face it, I am one of the old school.

Gertrude Löffelholz, Housekeeper

When I was fifteen, I worked in the kitchen from the crack of dawn until nightfall. And I slept downstairs. Nowadays, I am in charge of keeping all the young ones on track – at least I have got my own room on the top floor. One mustn’t complain.

These expectations: Can you believe it!

Ursula von Klagenfeld, House owner

Back in the days, I had a lot of help! And now: my dear valet retired after forty years. It’s almost impossible to get good servants these days. You would not believe the salary young people! Some days I feel like going crazy when I hurry through all the rooms of this old house. A nice little bungalow wouldn’t be all that bad – let’s see what my husband thinks about that…

Conclusion

There was always work to be done

Be it as groom, maid, servant or steward – together they enlivened the country house. Not all servants came from nearby villages; some of them travelled far or changed their position while others stayed in the same house for their entire lives. Over the course of time, servants demanded better pay, which masters and mistresses found increasingly difficult to afford.

Would you rather work in a factory or in a country house? So haben die Besucher:innen abgestimmt:

Country house

Factory

Next room:
Attic

Servants’ hall