I have a book written in 1928 that is the Memorial Book for the village of Furwitz, located near Dekau. (Bohemian village) The author goes back in history to describe life in the village. Here are some pages about the housing: The properties (farmsteads) and cottages which were grouped around a spacious rectangular village square were separated sideways from each other by a garden, which most certainly had a practical value. Modern was this arrangement insofar as it lessened the danger of fire by a separation from each farm yard. To be sure the empty spaces were later filled with more homes. They were at first scantily, later more carefully erected, were of wooden framework construction with small windows, low on the outside, low on the inside. Tall people bumped their head against the ceiling. A "Sahlerdecke", a ceiling made of a clay coated straw mat, completed a warm and healthy dwelling. The wood used was of the best quality throughout. The hearth was made of tiles, the smoke emptied into a black (I think this should be back) kitchen ending in a chimney. The smoke was caught with hoods from the baking oven and the "Gutzer" with hoods. The homes had only one level. The roofs were steep and with overhangs. They protected the paved walk along the front (at the same time a storage place for the baking utensils, pots and pails.). The roofs were covered with rye straw bundles, later with shingles. Later stables and dwellings were contructed of massive masonry and adorned with artful cupolas. Because of the development of the hop culture a second story became necessary. After the lifting of the robot buildings were of solid masonry and covered with tile roofs. The first roof of artificial slate, on the shed of Fritz Miksch, was laid in 1925. Previously buildings were built of clay, only for the stucco and vaults lime was used. Insulation of the foundation came only later in use. Protection against lightning provided previously the tall trees, today almost every house has an arrangement of lightning arresters. After the war building activity was strongest. None of the owners had to build (straw) shacks. The second exit gate in the barns was eliminated as not necessary. For the allignment of the irregular frontages new building codes exist. On another page he writes -- Slavic villages are mostly in a round form around the village pond. The old villages of German origin are mostly row villages, which were founded in the last P_emyslides by German immigrants in primeval forests along water courses. Every farm yard had its own closed area and its own road to the fields. These row villages could be enlarged on demand and are still typical in the Schonhengstgau. Then describing the oldest house in the village -- Consisting of the 200 year old wooden shepherds house, a part with a masonry foundation and the part with a foundation of the shepherds stable made into living quarters, demolised in 1925. With it disappeared the last part of Old-Furwitz. Already in 1866 the Prussians that moved in remarked unfavorable about the old shack. The newer part had a hard roof, the other shingles. It consisted of 3 rooms for living space and a room for quarantine. (Before the church was built in Furwitz and provided a room for a death chamber, it was previously used for this purpose.) One of the village poor, Kornelius Maier, was the former owner of the cottage No 13. His father, brick maker 43 at the local brick works, was 1862 killed by a fall from the drying floor. I'll send one more but this one is getting too long. Sandy ----- Original Message ----- From: <Gjs332@wmconnect.com> To: <CZECH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 12:09 AM Subject: [CZ] Peasant dwelling, discription? > I have been searching for information about the physical description of the > dwellings of our ancestors for some time and have not found much. What I found > was generic (for Europe) so I do not know if it applied to the peasants of > Bohemia and to which time period. Below is a summary of that information. > > The dwellings were constructed of local building materials: wood, wattle and > dub pressed on to and into reeds and willow twigs, stone masonry. or log > construction. The house or hut was a meager one or two-room dwelling with a > thatched roof of reeds and straw, which was an easy target for enemy soldiers. Some > time later, tile roofs became popular. Some dwellings were constructed of earth > kneaded with straw, in block form and stacked up to 2 feet thick. Another > report indicated that some people lived in underground burrows (this may not have > been in Bohemia). > > There would be a fire pit for heat, with a hole in the roof for the smoke to > escape. This would result in smoke / soot covered walls and dark interiors, > which would create a health problem. Sometimes animals would live in a part of > the dwelling. The animals would help supply some warmth. There might be one > window, with paper in the opening. This probably was before the glass making > industry came into existence. > > There was also a description of 2 and 3 story homes with iron railings over > the windows; this must have been later, perhaps after 1865. > > Can anyone correct or add to this? Also, how much of this was applicable to > Bohemia and in what years? Does any one have a description of the dwellings of > the 1500s or 1600s? > > Thanks, > Glenn > > > ==== CZECH Mailing List ==== > No off topic posts, flames, virus warnings, prayers, jokes, > chain letters, etc. Violators will be placed on message monitoring > and/or lose subscription privileges. > >