Great Hall

The great hall is where country house owners and the surrounding communities meet. However, not many village inhabitants are allowed to enter the country house. Nevertheless, the country house is closely connected to its surroundings, even though relations have changed over time.

1780 – 1830

Paternalism and corvée labour

Social inequality between owners and villagers

The size of the country house already indicates the social distance between lords and ladies on the one hand and the surrounding community on the other. The lord of the manor expected deference and respect, whether it took the form of congratulatory poems of villagers upon family weddings or the willing fulfilment of compulsory labor required of them. Yet, the special status of the country house owners also brought obligations along with it. Villagers expected assistance in case of everyday needs: Lords and ladies were supposed to take seriously their paternalistic obligations, by deferring payments if a tenant was sick, by allowing a reduction if a harvest turned out badly and by feeding the poor on Christian holidays.

Only few villagers, particularly pastors and mayors, ever entered the country house as invited guests. Most members of the community entered it instead as suppliers of goods, day labourers, or messengers – And, in that case, not through the front but the back-door. But communities could also defend themselves against the lord’s unjustness: If need be, they sued them at the highest courts in the country to defend their property and ancient rights.

Illustration: Daniel Chodowiecki »Glück der Liebe«, Wedding poem: BLHA Rep 37 Lübbenau 5096/3

Illustration: Daniel Chodowiecki »Glück der Liebe«, Wedding poem: BLHA Rep 37 Lübbenau 5096/3

1880 – 1930

Feasts and Fights

Ancient traditions and novel laws

At the turn of the twentieth century, villages had more rights and obligations than 100 years earlier. Therefore, its representatives acted with greater self-confidence – be it as partners or opponents of country house owners. Yet, the villagers did not forget the old order of things completely: Neither their previous status as subjects to the lord of the manor nor their by now abolished labour duties. Memories of paternalistic care by lordships also lingered and continued to exist in the form of patronage for churches and schools. Conviviality and conflict could follow closely one after the other: One day, the village mayor and the country house administrator might have heated arguments whether new power lines should be placed in front of the country house – the next day, the same mayor might send the community’s congratulations upon a birthday or wedding of a country house proprietor.

Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)
Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig née von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)
Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)
Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)

Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)

Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig née von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)

Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)

Congratulations on the silver wedding of Dietrich Graf von Schulenberg and Hedwig von Saldern (1897) (Source: BLHA, Rep. 37 Herrschaft Lieberose Nr. 1519 ÜF)

1945 – 1990

Social justice and societal expectations

New relations between country house and community

By 1945, country house owners no longer possessed any privileges. But whereas in Eastern Germany they were also expropriated, they were able to hang on to some influence in Western Germany, for example as owners of significant landed property or as important local employers. Many also involved themselves in the region, became members of village councils, or promoted cultural events. Thus, they could influence the community surrounding their house. On the other hand, villages discovered country houses as sights that could attract growing numbers of tourists. This also meant that they were highly critical of country houses in states of disrepair, and some communities expended significant amounts of money  to buy such houses and restore them. Regardless of the many social and political changes, traditions lingered at least in Western Germany: In many places, village bands played a tune  in front of country houses on the owners’ birthdays  and parents asked noble owners to become godparents to their children.

Perspektives

Day labourer

1800

Administrator

1900

Mayor

1970

Celebrating the lord’s arrival

Johann Störrle, Day labourer

Tomorrow, his lordship and her ladyship are coming! The young lord has finally gotten married and he and his wife want to live in the countryside permanently. All of us are supposed to dress in our Sunday best and to form a guard of honour in front of the manor house. Even the steward has been practicing his complimentary poem for days. All of us are really excited. Hopefully the new lord is more genial than the old one.

Didn’t we have an appointment?!

Chief administrator Behring

Been waiting for half an hour for the mayor! On-site meeting! All of that trouble because the village council decided against my recommendation that the manor should take care of the forest roads, even though the peasants are using them! There he is, together with his lordship. Must have congratulated the count in the name of the village upon the birth of his youngest daughter.

The Count is such a smartass...

Manfred Schulz, Mayor

Why does the old count have to get involved in everything all the time? It sometimes feels like the village council has just one member: Count Klagenfeld. He doesn’t own everything just because he’s got money! True, we still would not have a railway station without him and I also need to admit that he always donates money to the school festival. But that’s the way it should be. I will not be down on my knees because of that. Those times are gone. When all is said and done, I am the mayor of this village!

Conclusion

The Country House stands apart

Country houses and villages were never independent of each other and always had expectations as to the behaviour of the other. Even though rights and privileges of owners and formal care obligations disappeared, people still remembered the old traditions and customs.

Johann Count von Adelhausen appears at a village festival. How would you address him? So haben die Besucher:innen abgestimmt:

Your lordship” or „Count von Adelhausen“. True, titles were abolished in 1920, but he is still a count, after all.

Mr. Adelhausen. His title doesn’t matter. He is a normal human being like everyone else.

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