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Hamburg workhouse - punishment of inmates
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Hamburg workhouse - punishment of inmates
An illustration of the punishment meted out to idle paupers at the Hamburg workhouse in 1777. Offenders were placed in a large basket suspended by a rope over the dining hall table while the more industrious inmates ate their meal of bread and meat below
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Media ID 4464297
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10415919
1777 Bread Catering Cruel Cruelty Dining Eating Hamburg Hunger Hungry Idle Industrious Inmates Meal Meat Offenders Pauper Paupers Poor Poverty Punishment Refectory Rope Suspended Torment Workhouse Workhouses
EDITORS COMMENTS
This haunting illustration depicts a scene from the Hamburg Workhouse in Germany, circa 1777, where idle paupers were subjected to a cruel form of punishment during mealtimes. The image shows a large basket suspended over the dining hall table by a rope, into which offending paupers were placed as a form of torment and humiliation. The more industrious and obedient inmates were left to eat their meager meals of bread and meat below, witnessing the suffering of their peers. The Hamburg Workhouse, also known as the Refectory, was established to provide shelter and sustenance for the city's impoverished population. However, the living conditions were harsh, and those who failed to meet the work requirements were subjected to various forms of punishment, including the one depicted in this illustration. The use of the basket suspension was intended to instill fear and discipline among the paupers, forcing them to comply with the workhouse rules. The sight of hungry, emaciated men and women crammed into the basket, suspended above their fellow inmates, would have been a common occurrence in the workhouse refectory. The harsh realities of poverty and hunger were ever-present, and the workhouse system, while intended to provide a safety net for the destitute, often perpetuated a cycle of suffering and despair. This historical image serves as a stark reminder of the inhumane treatment of the poor during this period in Germany's history. The use of such punitive measures to control and discipline the impoverished population raises questions about the morality and effectiveness of the workhouse system and the broader societal attitudes towards poverty and the treatment of the less fortunate.
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