Xanten – Pumpennachbarschaft – pumps neighborhood

Xanten – Pumpennachbarschaft – pumps neighborhood

Image by Daniel Mennerich
Beside the primary job to the backup of the drinking water water supply and fire-fighting water supply, the pump – like in other cultures also even today – showed a social centre. In the pump news was exchanged and problems were discussed. Therefore the pump neighborhood showed a social community for the local residents.

At that time there was per street of houses or house community a mechanical water pump with which the local residents were able to do her everyday drinking water from the ground water high-level pumps. Before the education of municipal fire brigades these were the pump neighbours who helped each other in case of fires and transported about bucket chains the water of the pump of hand to hand to the fire place. For the flawless functioning this for all so important pump the pump master (also Pöttmeister) was responsible. According to region this job was transmitted at the turn of the year from house to house.