Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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HAMBURG. 261 the special characteristic of the modern Hamburg house, for the builders have interpreted the term “ cellar” in such a way that it really constitutes the ground floor. The bye-laws laid down the rule that the floor of a “ cellar ” (which might only be used as a dwelling in front houses) should not be more than 3 feet 3 inches below the surface. It was not re paire 1, however, that it must be so low as that, and the builder recognised that by keeping the cellar floor as near as possible to the level of the adjacent ground, he obtained six good habitable stories instead of five, and so had a better return for his money. Hence, cellar stories were for a long time built only one or two inches below the surface, until the question was, in 1888, submitted to the Court, which decided that the floor of a cellar within the meaning of the regulations must be at least 15 centi metres, or about 6 inches, below the adjacent ground. Even so, the modern Hamburg cellar is only a cellar in name, and is practically the ground floor. The result is that the attics have to serve as storehouses for wood and miscel laneous goods. There are many basement dwellings, real and nominal, both in the old and new parts of the town. At the Census of 1900, the number inhabited was 9,921, against 9,118 in 1895, 8,057 in 1890, 6,948 in 1885, 5,747 in 1880, and 4,439 in 1875. The number of inhabitants resident in basement dwellings in 1900 was 43,272, or 6'20 per cent, of the whole, while the basement formed 6’35 per cent, of all dwellings. Yet the low-lying and unhealthy basement dwellings attached to old houses in the Inner Town are gradually being disused, while those in the newer parts of the town—like Eppendorf and Barmbeck, vdiere the increase has latterly been greatest—are, as a rule, but little inferior to dwellings entirely above ground. Outside the old area of the town building has followed the usual German lines. The “ barrack ” house of five and six stories and many tenements early made its appearance, and the back house and side wing were largely developed during the last two decades of last century. The primitive Hamburg house was a structure of one and two stories, and the ancient and modern types may often be seen together to-day, the one 18 or 20 feet high, the other 60 or 70 feet. The tendency to build large houses is reflected in the growing density of population. Between 1885 and 1900 the number of persons per inhabited building increased from 17*88 to 21*71. It may be noted here that the single-family house plays nowadays but an insignificant part in the housing arrangements of Hamburg, and excepting some very old half-timber structures and several modern groups of one-story dwellings of a very circumscribed and simple character, it hardly exists so far as the working classes are concerned. In 1900 not 5 per cent, of the houses in Hamburg (excluding those in which business was carried on) were of the single- family type. The industrial working classes and other workers not employed in or about the harbour live largely in the east and north-east of the town, in Hammer- brook, Bill warder Ausschlag, Rothenburgsort, and especially Barmbeck, which is distinctively a working-class quarter. There both old and new houses are found, and according to their age is their quality, but dark corners are here exceptional. Blocks of from three to four stories are the rule, though five stories are not rare, and the usual accommodation is two or three rooms and a serviceable kitchen. Corridors are general and it is seldom that one corridor serves for two dwellings ; still more seldom that kitchens are shared. An abundance of windows is noticeable in the older houses, a characteristic of Hamburg dwellings which has descended from ancient times. Two-window rooms are popular, and one at least of this size belongs to a well-ordered tenement. The rooms of two typical dwellings visited in Barmbeck were found to have the following dimensions :—(1) Tenement of three rooms—“ Best ” or sitting- room 14 feet 34 inches by 13 feet by 8 leet 2 inches ; bedroom, 13 feet 8 inches by 8 feet 1 \ inches by 8 feet 2T inches ; kitchen, 12 feet 4 inches by 9 feet 3 inches by 8 feet 2 inches. This was the dwelling of a large household, insomuch that there were four beds in the bedroom and the corridor was used as a bedroom ; the rent was £11 10s. per annum or 4s. 5c/. per week. (2) Tene-

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