Up until the Second World War, when everyone
still worked as an independent farmer or
craftsman, pregnant women worked at their own
job until the time of the birth as long as they
were healthy. In later years, when everyone had
been dispossessed, there were more and more
women who worked as employees. By law, these
women were allowed three months maternity leave.
This leave could be taken beginning six weeks
before the birth or else immediately from the
time of birth, depending on their wish. After
these three months, the young mother would go
back to work again full-time and the child would
stay at home with the grandmother or
great-grandmother, who would look after it. But
this was only possible because one normally
lived in an extended family, i.e. three
generations under one roof.
We children were always told that babies were
brought by the stork, held by the navel and
dropped down the chimney. We found this quite
believable as there were plenty of storks nests
in our village.
Our ancestors had many children, which was
necessary as in those days there were many
infectious diseases and epidemics (plague,
cholera).
In the early days there were only home
births, in charge of which was the midwife. The
doctor was only called if complications set in.
During the 1950s maternity homes were set up and
women had to give birth there. Alexanderhausen
didn’t have one at the time and so the pregnant
women had to travel to Billed, Gross Sankt
Nikolaus, Lowrin or Temeschburg for the births.
The village eventually got its own maternity
home, but only for a short time as the State
took over most maternity homes shortly
afterwards and the women then had to go to the
women’s clinic in Temeschburg for births.
With home births, the midwife looked after
the mother and child. She would come for 8 to 14
days to bathe and change nappies for the child.
The umbilical cord was tied and cut through with
a piece of cotton thread. The child was then
dressed in a little shirt, which was tied at the
side, and a nappy (usually white and made of ‘Barchent’).
In summer the child was covered with a thin
cover, in winter with an ‘Inbinkissen’ (a sort
of feather quilt), and put in the cradle (kept
for many generations) in which it would spend
the first two years of its life. Afterwards, it
would sleep in a child’s cot.
Up until around 1920 the newborn child
would be baptized on the same day; later, on the
first Sunday after the birth (see three attached
documents). From the 1940s onwards the day of
the baptism would be delayed more and more. If
it was a weak and sickly child, the midwife
could also carry out an emergency baptism.
In the early days the rule was that an
un-baptized child was not allowed any visitors.
After the baptism, on the first visit, one would
bring an article of clothing or a toy for the
child. One would often hear, “He looks just like
his father, but has his mother’s blonde hair and
blue eyes”, or “He’s the image of his
grandfather but he has his grandmother’s snub
nose!”
The midwife was always present at the
baptism. She had the honor of carrying the child
into the church, to help at the baptism, and
finally to carry the child back home. If it was
a boy, he was held by his godfather at the
baptism; if it was a girl, by her godmother. The
child’s christening dress was usually white, or
blue for boys and pink for girls. The child
would be baptized with the name of the godparent
or parent. After the 1930s these old rules were
no longer strictly observed and most children
received two Christian names, too. If the child
was named Erich-Johann or Hilde-Anna, then it
would sound strange to call it ‘Vetter Erich’ or
‘Bessl Hilde’ in Swabian, so one would say
‘Uncle’ or ‘Aunt’ instead of ‘Vetter’ or ‘Bessl’.
The godfather would pay for the christening
and godmother would give a present to the child.
Girls received golden earrings and boys a
baptismal garment, in later years also necklaces
were given.
At baptisms where a band was to play,
people gathered at the godfather’s house. From
there they went to collect the godmother and
then together would go and collect the child to
be baptized. If there was no band playing, then
they traveled in a coach, if there was one, or
else went on foot.
A tradition in our village was the firing
of guns on leaving the church, until the child
reached home. At each gunshot the godfather
would raise his hat in acknowledgement and
thanks. If the procession passed the homes of
relatives or acquaintances on the way home, then
earthenware pots would be smashed on the road so
that the broken pieces would bring good luck to
the child.
The godparents had to make sure they had
plenty of sweets and candies on them as these
would be generously distributed at the baptism,
e.g. all the altar boys, the priest, the
vergers, and later the church choir, if they had
sung, would all receive a bag of sweets, as well
as everyone who had been invited to the baptism.
Godparents would regularly give gifts to
their godchildren at Christmas and Easter up
until the child’s 14th birthday and they would
later also act as witnesses as marriage
ceremonies.
Click images to enlarge . . .
