MUNICH'.
379
Meat.
In addition to a public abattoir, designed on modern principles, Munich has
a public market for the sale of meat, and this market is largely resorted to by
the working classes, though a considerable trade is done by the small butchers
in the streets inhabited by these classes, chiefly in inferior and cheaper joints of
meat. Many of these butchers buy their stocks from the larger higher-class
traders, and do not kill for themselves. There are three departments of the
public market—the high-class stalls (known collectively as " Bank ” or bench),
which only deal in the best meat, which is ox meat ; the second-class stalls
which deal with the cheaper, yet very good, cow meat ; and the " Freibank,”
by which is meant the stalls which deal in meat of distinctly inferior quality,
which the market officials will not allow to be sold on the open stalls, yet which
they do not feel justified in condemning as unfit for human food. For the
meat displayed in the stalls of the third class there is always a ready demand on
the part of the working classes and the poorer buyers, who are to be found at
seven o’clock waiting for the market to open. The rush generally clears the
stock in short time, and the “ Freibank ” has done its business much sooner than
the ordinary butchers. In 1905 there were sold as “ Freibank ” meat 396 oxen,
2,236 cows, 146 young cattle, 1,636 calves, 4,334 pigs, and 180 sheep. As a
rule from l\d. to 8Jd. per lb. is paid for good beef (except steak, which costs
9f\d. to Is. Id.) ; for mutton 6d. to 8f¿/., according to the cut ; for veal 7^d.
to 8f/A ; and for pork 8Jd. to 9|d. For the sake of comparison the prices of
inferior “ Freibank ” meat are given : Beef 4\d. to 7f\d. (the latter for ox meat) ;
mutton 3d. to 4d. ; veal 3bd. to 6£d. ; and pork 4d. to T^d. It is seldom that
the butchers in the working-class quarters have large stocks of meat, for they
sell in very restricted quantities, yet their shops, whose sign is generally a mass
of growing ivy covering the lower half of the window, are clean and orderly.
There are horse meat shops in the poorer districts, and they do an increasing
trade. The meat is offered in various forms—common cuts, which cost something
under 3d. per pound, fillet, which commands about 2d. more, boiled meat,
cured and rolled meat, fat and sausage. The public abattoir has a special
department for the killing of dogs, but it is maintained that only a small
portion of the flesh is used as human food, and even then only because of the
belief that dog’s flesh is an antidote against tuberculosis, a belief prevalent in
many parts of Germany. In 1905 110 dogs were killed, against 99 in 1904
and 166 in 1903.
For some years there has been a gradual decrease in the consumption of
meat in Munich. The highest figure reached was during the five years 1881-5
when the consumption annually per head of the population was 20T5 lb, of
meat of all kinds, fresh and prepared. There was a fall during the years 1891-5
to 175*3 lb., then a recovery during the years 1896-1900 to 179 0 lb., followed
by a further fall to 165*8 lb. during the years 1901-5, the consumption in 1905
being 157*7 lb., and in 1 906 153*1 lb., per head. The incorporation of adjacent
communes and unfavourable economic conditions would help to explain a
smaller average consumption at the beginning of the present decade, yet the
significant fact cannot be overlooked that the decrease has been spread over a
number of years, and has synchronised with the increasing cost of this and other
articles of food. It is also noticeable that the diminished consumption has been
more striking in the better and dearer kinds of meat than in others. The
following animals were slaughtered in the years named :
Oxen ...
Bullocks
Young Cattle
Cows ...
Calves ...
Pigs
Sheep and Goats
Horses ...
1901.
30,566
10,647
15,385
21,471
240,065
213,323
37,829
2,055
1902.
30,322
10,372
14,407
22,835
228,971
193,085
36,718
2,305
1903.
30,802
16,885
3,*798
20,772
204,920
223,595
29,914
2,459
1904.
30,310
16,002
2,978
18,750
193,957
242,631
30,460
2,592
1905.
28,432
16,568
4,122
21,424
201,793
198,800
33,596
2,898
29088
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