Recently on the Baden - Wurttemberg list they have talked about guild records. Eventually I sent an article that I wrote about Guild records in Thüringen and which was published by the Anglo-German Family History Society in England in issue 51 of their magazine "Mitteilungsblatt" (I have the still the copyright to this article) It seems appropiate that send this article here too. The records I found were in Zeulenroda town archive and Greiz Staatsarchiv. I would be interested to know if anyone else is researching in Zeulenroda. Franz Ferdinand Jähnert - Stockingmaker Recently I did some research into the Jähnert family in Zeulenroda, which is now in Thüringen. Peter Towey gave me the address of the Staatsarchiv Greiz, and I wrote to them, explaining all I knew about the Jähnerts, which under other things was that they were stockingmakers (Strumpfwirker). These were craft workers who produced about 12 pairs of socks a week using a machine invented in 1589 in Cambridge, by a possible ancestor of mine, William Lee. Eventually I received about 20 pages of copies of letters written by the stockingmakers and the Stockinmakers Guild in Zeulenroda to the Government of the time, and the Governments replies. Most of these were from the 1860's, period when sockmaking was a dying trade, unable to compete with the new factories. The sockmakers were dependant on orders from the merchants, but the merchants were building the new factories. The sockmakers were getting fewer contracts and becoming rapidly poorer. Zeulenroda was at this time part of a small principality, Reuss Alte Linie, which consisted of three or four towns and several villages.The government, despite promises made during the 1848 uprisings, was still very feudal. In 1866 the Austrian - Prussian war broke out and Reuss Alte Linie sided with the Austrians. For strategic reasons, their small army of mostly Jäger (Riflemen),was sent to Rastatt in Baden, with exception of about twenty men.In the meantime the Austrians lost the battle of Königgrätz, and with it the war. The last-twenty Reuss Alte Linie soldiers were released from duty, just before the Prussian army arrived in Greiz by train. One of the released soldiers tore off his uniform and ran for three hours to his home village in his underclothes. Another went to the railway station and spent two hours chatting with the Prussian soldiers, before they realised that he was the enemy. He was made a prisoner of war and taken to Hof in Bavaria, but was released after a few days. Such are the local legends of this day. In October 1866 the army was recalled from Rastatt and released from duty, so that it could be reorganised under Prussian lines. Reuss Alte Linie was forced to join the Norddeutsche Bund, a coalition of northern German states led by Prussia. Shortly after this Franz Ferdinand Jähnert, who had finished of his apprenticeship wrote the following letter to the ruling Duke Heinrich XXII. (The hard-to-read parts are represented by question marks.) Most serene Duke Most Merciful and serene Duke and Lord Before the steps of the radiant favour and lenience and justice dares the subservient reserve rifleman and sockmaking apprentice* Franz Ferdinand Jähnert from Zeulenroda, to submit this request, with regards his intention to become a master (sockmaker) After my release from school, I learnt the sockmaking profession, but after the apprenticeship, I couldn't journey**, because I wanted to earn decent? clothes first, because when one just goes with nothing into the world, one gets no respect (or attention.) As I came finally to decent apparel?, I had the honour in the year 1863 to exchange my simple civil rank with the call of my warlords. I stood 2 ½ years by the flag, and took part in the campaign to Rastatt, after which I went in the reserve and continued my profession. I the subservient requestor, am in my 26th year and want to gain citizenship and Master rights in Zeulenroda, but for the earlier mentioned reasons, couldn't journey, and after my return from Rastatt, I was too old for that. I do therefore in this affair dare request the well known grace and mercy of my country and war ruler to consider this most submissive request: That you yourself, full of mercy and full power, if it pleases, to release me from journeying and from completing a masterpiece, then I am a poor fellow and cannot get anything from my parents for my intention, and also to allow the governmental master fee to fall. With honour and submissiveness Your serene Duke Zeulenroda, 21st June 1867 most servile, true? obedient Franz Ferdinand Jähnert After the letter the following was noted Resol Sereniss ad. No. 404 29/VI. 67. Dispensed and released one half of of the Fees He didn't have to become a journeyman or complete a masterpiece, but he still had to pay three Thaler, six Groschen and six Pfennig, which at this time was about one weeks wages. The following year the sockmakers Guild was dissolved. Without contracts and work, the sockmakers earned nothing, and were forced to leave the Guild so that they could earn a living by other means. I hope that Franz Ferdinand didn't pay these fees; the master title would most likely have been of little use to him. I am still trying to find this out. I wrote this article to show how much can be found in German Guild records and that with luck it is possible to get from them, the genealogists' dream, a short life history written by the ancestor, his or herself. * The proper translation is journeyman, but considering the content of the letter, this is confusing.. ** Journey as in the sense of a journeyman. Jon Scott