Servants' books for maids and men-servants
News News blog
Until 1919, maidservants and men-servants in Prussia were obliged to keep so-called servants' service books in accordance with the Servants' Code of 1810. These served as a kind of work certificate and had to be deposited with the employer. If the servants were dismissed, the employer was obliged to issue a certificate of conduct and performance. The entries in the servants' registers had to be certified by the relevant police authority.
Significance of the servants' books
The servants' books had an important control function. They enabled employers to monitor and evaluate the work ethic and conduct of their servants. For the maidservants and men-servants, this meant enormous pressure, as a bad report significantly reduced their chances of finding a new job.
At the same time, however, the books also served as proof of work done and could be used as evidence in the event of disputes. From today's perspective, the surviving servants' books are valuable socio-historical sources that provide an insight into the living and working conditions of servants in the 19th century.
Legal status of the servants
The servants' regulations in the German states placed servants at a severe disadvantage compared to their masters. The rights of the master were much more strongly emphasized. For example, they could often dismiss servants without notice, while conversely long notice periods of up to three months had to be observed.
Complaints about poor working conditions, inadequate food or mistreatment also had little chance of success in court. The right to corporal punishment enshrined in the law even allowed the employer to use a certain amount of physical force to discipline the servants.
Abolition of the servants' books
With the end of the German Empire in November 1919, the restrictions on the right of association and assembly for servants were abolished. The 44 servants' regulations that had been in force in the German states until then were repealed.
This also meant that the servants' books lost their function. They were replaced by regular work certificates, which were also common for other occupational groups. The servants' regulations thus marked the transition to modern working conditions, even if the actual living and working conditions of domestic servants often only improved slowly.
