Chapter 1
In the mid-18th century, Prussian King Frederick II intensified his efforts to become independent of silk imports. In the village of Wilmersdorf, too, deserted farms were to be planted with mulberry trees to provide food for silkworm production. In Wilmersdorf, preacher Samuel Gottlieb Fuhrmann prevailed over his competitor Schwechten, who was in charge of the royal estate of Wilmersdorf.
The Royal Prussian War Councilor Meinhardt Christian Reincke bought the property and house from his brother-in-law already in 1758. The mulberry leaves went on to Fuhrmann’s silkworm farm.
Letter from Preacher Fuhrmann to Frederick II, January 1751
In this letter, Fuhrmann asks the “most Powerful, most Gracious King and Lord” to provide timber, money, and land to expand his silk production, which he has already been operating “with considerable success” in the churchyard.
The Brandenburg Main State Archive, Mühlenhof Files
Mulberry tree (Mours nigra), colored copperplate engraving, second half of the 18th century
Prussian silk production failed to become a success story. The climate was not ideal, many small producers were overwhelmed by the demanding farming process, and the quality of the fabrics was often lacking. After the death of Frederick II, efforts to promote silk production faded and other areas of textile production were encouraged instead.
When Cornelius Adrian Hesse became the owner in 1765, he was immediately able to “bring in his building materials and make any changes he wanted in the garden.” Hesse had the simple cottager’s house completely demolished and the larger stone building erected by 1766. Hesse and his sons Paul and Cornelius (company name “Gebr. Hesse”) were among the most successful businesspeople in Berlin.
When ownership changed hands in 1783, merchant and manufacturer Johann George Sieburg also took on the obligation to cultivate mulberry plantations for silk production – but presumably without actually doing so. Sieburg was the largest cotton manufacturer in the country at the time. During his time in Wilmersdorf, he contributed significantly to improving the village’s infrastructure (relocation of the fire engine, fire pond, baking oven).
Madder (Rubia tinctorum L.), colored lithograph, first half of the 19th century
Sieburg cultivated madder in Wilmersdorf in order to dye cotton yarns “genuine red in the Turkish style” using the root dye. Sieburg also leased the the royal estate of Wilmersdorf to produce “dyer’s red.” Cotton fabric became a successful product of early industrialization in Prussia.
Award medal for successful silk production, 1783
Seventy copies of this silver coin were manufactured.
Front: Bust of Frederick II with laurel wreath and in armor.
Back: Penelope reeling silk threads from cocoons.
Medalist: Abraham Abramson
Photo: Staatliche Museen Berlin, Münzkabinett
Baroque box lock, metal, original fittings from around 1766
During the renovation of the Schoeler Schlösschen in the early 2020s, the building research team secured door fittings from five different eras. On the inside of the tent room, the baroque door fittings from the time of its construction were preserved as representative examples.
Kossätenhaus
Kossätenhaus was a simple small farmhouse made of half-timbering and clay, combining living and working spaces under one roof. Kossäten usually owned little land and performed additional services for the landlords. Kossäten formed their own class between cottagers without farmland and full farmers.
Kossätenhaus, view and ground plan from the time of construction.
Fuhrmann’s single-story half-timbered clay house, measuring 17 x 9 meters, was completed in 1754. Fuhrmann was “already completely exhausted of his fortune by the time the house was built…”. Building researchers assume that a small part of the hallway had a basement.
The Brandenburg Main State Archive, Mühlenhof Files
Property map of Wilmersdorf from 1750
In 1753, Preacher Fuhrmann was granted the “farmstead of the former Frostens farm X,” “Lichtens deserted smallholding XI,” and, somewhat later, “Lichtens secondary farmstead XIII.” This corresponds to an area of approximately 2.7 hectares.
The Brandenburg Main State Archive, Mühlenhof Files