From what I heard on NPR this afternoon, chimney sweeps during the Third Reich were expected to “spy” and report any suspicious acitivity to the police.They were also expected to lead “exemplary lives” themselves.
This background info is the result of a story which states that German chimney sweeps will no longer have a “monopoly” on their services. I only heard part of it, but apparently up until now, a German citizen had to use the sweep assigned to the zone his house was in and was subject to his/her services, adequate or not.
Another part of the story I was able to hear featured an interview with a sweep who stated that some Germans might still be afraid of being reported (and if anyone heard the full story, maybe you can “flesh” it out a bit), because there is apparently a “fee” associated with having a televison in ones home/apartment.
Being half-German myself, I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I have no knowledge of such a fee, so perhaps some of our German friends can give us some more information.
“Constable Jones, I was just doin’ me sweepin’ over at Mr. Banks’ house, and Oi have t-tell you that there’s something vee-rrrrry suaspicious goin’ on there. Jyne and Michael have scared off another nanny, that’s what!”
“Wot? What do you mean I don’t sound like a real Cockney? My accent comes and goes? Get off! I’m as Britishh as you!”
I have read about the spying angle in English-language reports but not in German-language ones. At a guess this angle is an extrapolation on some journalist’s part from the fact that Nazi-era legislation (in 1935 IIRRC) stipulated that master chimney sweeps had to be German citizens (which would be simply in keeping with the general legislative agenda. Any legislation to be introduced or modified at that time would routinely include provisions to exclude aliens, and Germans to be persecuted (just as Jews) from positions of influence or profit. In 1937 the economy ministry further mandated that long time Nazi party member were to be given preference in the assignment of chimney sweep districts - again, that would be SOP at the time, handing opportunities for profit to cronies. The spying angle would be possible but it would be simple to hide contraband documents from the chimney sweep.
The local monopolies for master chimey sweeps were of earlier legislative origin - introduced in the 1871-1918 empire as a measure to be introduced at the indivisual states’ discretion, which was gradually introduced in all but a few German federal states, and made mandatory for the holdout states by the Nazis in 1935. The motivation was that sweeping and checking chimneys was not regarded as just an ordinary service to householders but as a public safety measure - because, in a city, it is not just your personal affair if your house burns down. With the advent of modern firing systems the risk has shifted from chimney soot catching fire to CO poisoning (Of course the intent of this 19th century safety legislation would be more efficiently be implemented today by modern-style safety/inspection regulations. Heating engineering firms have mandatory standards of training, already do emissions tests (one of today’s chimney sweeps function) and could employ specialized chimney sweeps for the classical roof work. Apart from the local monopoly there are also some other quaint regularions - the master chimney sweep is required to reside within his sweeping district, and to be a member of the volunteer fire brigade. Their outfit is not required by law IIRRC, but preferred out of tradition
Regarding he TV thing, that’s just the TV license fee which exists in most European countries and also in some Asian and African ones.
