Just found out the first known chimney sweep guild was in Germany in 1642

I was reading a history book about old trades and saw that. It was called the 'Chimney Sweepers' Guild of Frankfurt' and they had rules about training and pay. Kind of wild to think about guys in the 1600s dealing with the same soot and draft issues we do now. Anyone know if there are any old guild records still around that talk about their methods?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair63011d ago

That's a cool bit of history. The idea of a formal soot union in the 1600s is pretty funny to me. My attempt at cleaning my own fireplace last winter was a total disaster. I got more soot on my ceiling than in the bag. Those guild guys would have kicked me out on day one. I bet their old rulebooks are sitting in some city archive in Germany. Would love to see if their "methods" were just common sense or if they had some secret tricks.

lindahunt11d ago

I saw a documentary once that said they used wet blankets to block drafts while they worked. They also had these long, stiff brushes made from specific types of twigs, like holly, because they held up better than regular straw. The guild rules probably covered what materials to use for the brushes.