The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-11-25
social sJfe ~ Germany --ilow u Differs
Gom that ef America.
BrRi.is, August, 1883.

BrRlis, August, 1855
A Traveller who spends but few days IN
u place, and then proceeds on his way.
has very little opportunity of becoming ac'
quainted with the social habits Of q people.
Such has been toa great extent the case
with me, and yet have had many cppor.
tunities of seeing the Germans IN their
homes. Let me give IN u few words the ~
suits Of my observations. The Germans are
more social than the Americans. believe
they do not tnk so much Certainly not so
iast as the French but they certainly do
talk much more than We do. You never
seo two Germans sitting together at II table
or in parlor, in silence. They live ,ogeth.
or also 10 u very great extent.
When an American settles down in life,
his wife aud children constitute the centre.
not only of his affections, but Of his plans and
hopes. Home IL the most sacred pot on
earth 10 him. Ills meals hc takes at homo
his evenings be spends at home hs cares
aud struggles with life terminate nj his
home. Ills own home thus becomes as II
were little Independent kingdom Of itself.
Each household, great or srnll. thus goes
through by itself with all the iormularies OF
of baking. cooking. eating, scrubblpg, just
as though there was no other family IN the
wide world Hence you see nll over the
rural districts Of our country almost eHtlre-
ly Isolated houses. each built on the domain
of it occupant. Even in towns aud cities
the same isolation is in grca, degree kept
up, though the houses may perhaps join
each other.
Now all through Germany this matter
lea in very different shape. You ss no
isolated housea through The country; the
people oil live In villages and citIes No
family does It's baking. nor much ot i,s cook.
ing, People mingle together by night aud
by day, Whole families will leave their
homes for the day or for the evening, md
viii ic found in some garden or in some
place OF amusement, taking their meals to
gtthcr. Take German OF Gormsn lami-
ly. away IRON oil others aud ,hcy would
fcl like iisli out Of water and IN another
element. You have observed that German
omigrants In America settle IN little squads.
aud very seldom Isolate themselves from
each other. In our cities. also. they are Of.
ten satisfied to live, many families In
the same hous, aud sometimcs 10 the Same
room.
d. not intend to discuss the taste Or
economy Of German social lir, but will
venture the remark that their method Of
paironizlng the baker, exclusively both Tor
their bread and meal, thus avoiding the
trouble and expense oi ovens and frea in
their own h0usus, must be- especially in sum
mcr, matter oi very great convenience
aud economy.
The simple diet ON which The grca, m1ses
oi the German people live, facilitates the
carrying out Of their habits Of social life.
About three fills Of the whole population
do not cat meat Of any Lind oflcncr than
once a wcck. au1 multitude not 30 often
The great staple of diet among the poorer
cassee Is very black bread, made exclu.
siycly Of rye coarse ground. ard made sour.
probably hs u matter Of taste. by the inlu.
sion Of some acid often tried to eat Il,
but never happcnod TO be hungry enough 10
succeed
In their ~s:,,; :v;y,aaslss: n .vsrbns
kinds are lreely.ns,i:by a' oa,:en, .tat ,id,
fyf isat Il. u,e map thing. IL " baked 10
Io;s'r abs.t aSo -spt : had kst long and
sosneiim'D MT hsre tbs1 four T 1--we ijh'iss
in diameter. II would BE- very easy mat
ter to knock man down with one Of thso
loayes Of bread. To my Own taste il Is very
nupalatabe and yet have oi,eo secn Ger.
mans in hotels taking II 10 preference 10
better quality made u what.
TIE common wheat bread ] haze always
found. with hardly one exception, mos, ex-
csIIsut. 1t ia far better, IA = general rule,
than ,ha, found in England, and will add
'ha, i, ia much better than that ordinarily
made in the United Statr. They always
baked II 10 small Ioavcs, about twice the
ans o' tea cap. and ii 10 whi,e, light and
delicious. Not only with the poorer classes
]. mea, an article ol luxary--it is used very
little compared with American habits. by
,hc better classes. A German never takes
meat for breakfast. A cup Of coGce aud
piece of bread and butter invariably con.
s,i,n,e the morning neal