The Occupational Pyramid of the Eifel
Social stratification and occupational distribution of the Nisius family in rural Rhineland
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Click on a level of the pyramid
The occupational pyramid shows the typical social stratification in rural Eifel communities between 1600 and 1850. The Nisius families were mainly represented in the middle and lower half of the pyramid – as farmers, craftsmen, and day laborers.
Methodology
The data is based on church records, censuses, and family traditions. The percentages are estimates for the Nisius families in the Eifel region.
The Cooper Connection
Particularly noteworthy: The profession of cooper (barrel maker) – indispensable in winemaking. The Nisius families, named after the wine god Dionysius, also crafted the vessel for the wine.
The Invisible Women
Church records rarely listed occupations for women. Their work – household, childcare, fieldwork – was invisible but indispensable.