History of Crafts in Germany

In continental Europe, with a weaker and slower development of economic forces than in England , the craft as a special production system developed much later, when England had already moved from it to other, higher economic forms . Continental countries should not, therefore, completely do the hard process of a gradual transition from one production system to another, which occurred in England as a result of its early economic and cultural progress .

The use of the great inventions of England in the field of movement and technology of production allowed economically backward countries to take rapid steps towards the creation of mass consumer goods and become active participants in the world exchange of goods. Typical in this respect is the example of Germany .

Before the great migration of the peoples, there was hardly any other form of processing of items, except for what usually happens with the family or family . Later, especially after the final establishment of the feudal system , there appears, in the face of slaves and serfs , a special class of people who devote themselves exclusively to the processing of items obtained by other subjects of the feudal owner. Owners of the land plots join them, who have become dependent on the feudal owner in order to use his protection. In order to fulfill their publishing duties, they also had to work in the workshops of the feudal owner or in the women's section of his house, making various items necessary for the household. In the old Germanic acts are mentioned domestic blacksmiths, foundry workers, tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, carpenters, goldsmiths and silverware, etc.

Technical advances have contributed to the formation among the curse who lived on their own land of a special class , which from generation to generation began to cultivate a certain branch of the manufacturing industry . Over time, the feudal owners began to allow their serf artisans to execute, for a fee, the work commissioned by various individuals. With the gradual weakening of feudal dependence, such workers began to approach the free artisans who lived in the communities and worked exclusively for their own benefit. Urban development contributed to the development of R., which, in turn, strengthened the foundations of city ​​life.

At first, the townspeople continue to engage in agriculture, but the center of gravity is being transferred more and more to the manufacturing industry. A lively exchange is made between the city and the surrounding places. Fairs and markets give the villagers the opportunity to sell their excess products to citizens, receiving from the latter what he could not do at home. Feudal owners sought to ensure that such urban centers arose on their lands, and did not prevent their unfree craftsmen from acquiring freedom here. The opportunity to engage in the processing of foreign materials, at customer's home (auf die St ö r gehen), served as an attractive force for anyone who wanted a free independent activity.

From the XII century. artisans are beginning to acquire in the cities the value of an independent industrial class. A general improvement in production processes and techniques has increased the well-being of this class. Artisans are granted benefits on the acquisition of urban land ownership, on exemption from taxes and duties , on the transportation of products, etc. With the development of R. technology, cities are becoming the main or even exclusive suppliers of industrial products. The economic situation of artisans is consolidated.

Already in the XIV century. in R. there are quite noticeable signs of capitalization . Working capital begins to play a fairly prominent role. The master begins to receive not only remuneration for his work, but also a special income, as the head of a craft establishment. Personal participation in the work ceases to be an indispensable duty of the masters; they are more interested in public affairs, limiting themselves to supervision of the performance of work by apprentices. The chances and hopes of the apprentices to become over time independent masters are greatly reduced; hence their struggle with the masters and partly with the city government (see Journeyman ).

In the XVII century. we meet with large enterprises of that time, which, not encroaching on the craft system of production, are trying to expand the market. The craftsman begins to work not only for sales in this city, but also for other areas. However, it loses its main character.

By the middle of the XVIII century. R. technique ceases to develop; The economic situation of artisans is deteriorating. Many leave their classes or combine them with agricultural work, as hired laborers . In many countries a considerable surplus of workers is formed, despite the unlawful closure of access to the guild organization by many (see Workshop ). In society, there are new needs that are satisfied by resettled foreigners. In Berlin, for example, the French introduced a number of new branches of production (in 1690 there were about 43). This fully corresponded to the types of government that tried, with the help of various measures (granting the right of citizenship and the title of master, exemption from duties for several years, the supply of construction material, etc.) to attract foreigners. Along with this, the governments (in Prussia, Saxony, Austria, etc.) supported those branches of national production that were handicraft-manufacturing, for example, the weaving and iron industry. And in Germany, it was not the introduction of machines, but the desire to create products for an unknown market that took away from R. the “golden soil” that it had under the domination of the urban economy. In 1787 the first steam engine was brought from England to Germany; it was soon followed by others and gave a mighty impetus to the development of large-scale production.

In the XIX century. , under the influence of the rapid growth of improved communication lines and the formation of the German Customs Union, Germany is entering into such a phase of capitalist development that England went through in the last century. All this inevitably had to reflect on the position of artisans. Some of their groups have benefited from the changing conditions of economic life and barter, but many have paid with their independence. When, in the forties, a trade crisis broke out in Germany, many artisans found themselves in a stalemate; began the so-called artisan movement (Handwerkerbewegung), which lasted until the beginning of XX century.

Limiting the number of craftsmen at a given point, prohibiting the sale of dressing, adding all artisans working in factories to a craft association, restricting the activities of any person to one R., providing only members of the craft association the right to sell petty products of handicraft work, a ban on entry into an alliance with persons not belonging to it, banning state, public and joint-stock craft workshops, stopping the return of works from public auction to low-cost bidders, and replacing its races Restriction of work through industrial council, a ban on the use of services of more than two students, taxation of factories in favor of handicrafts, the introduction of compulsory training for all, wandering, theoretical and practical examinations - these are the basic requirements of the program of craftsmen, from which, however, one or the other the group made concessions from time to time.