Rag-and-bone man
A scrap collector or outpatient hand dealer earns his living with the collection of used and waste materials from metal, which again can be used as starting materials and recyclable materials in the production use of its sales.
History
Historically, it is an activity that continues the Altstoffsammeln pre-industrial times. The rag and bone merchants of the early modern period discarded the especially among the rural population accumulating, from her not -recyclable waste, spending cheap household items ( Irdengeschirr haberdashery). In the paper, or bone mill he received for his groupage money with which he paid for the purchased from the manufacturers of his Tauschguts on consignment goods: a circulatory and at the same time niche economy, the existence of a possibility offered the socially and economically marginalized. She forced to permanent migration, as was a village expired, the demand had exhausted itself, the next place had to be controlled. With the industrialization lost rags for papermaking by the transfer to other feedstock her role, while the recycling of waste materials from metal increased considerably in importance. Where people lived off the Altstoffverwertung, they changed the object of their activity. It amazed at this, not that, in the continuation of traditional acquisition methods until today many Roma and Jeni, as they say, " crappy stuffs ".
Social exclusion
The social marginalization of the waste collector, which continues to exist to this day, is reflected in the epithet Haderlump derived from rags to rags. In particular, the linen fabric remnants were sought-after secondary material for producing high-quality paper ( rag paper ). The risks associated with these activities are reflected in the name Hader disease for anthrax. The disease was due to the constant and close contact with infected rags.
Presence
In advanced industrial countries, the activity is largely fallen away as individual acquisition way, since recycling is carried out by industrial companies. On the edge of mass events, returnable bottles collectors find just as in regular browsing bins and garbage cans for seized items to the public of the Federal Republic and of other advanced industrial nations. In developing countries with a strong informal sector it is like collecting and refurbishing of old and scrap altogether, however, still significant as livelihood of the people in a broad social edge.
Some details of past and present practice of everyday life
The with regionally differing descriptions ( in West Germany about clique ( s ) guy, Klüngelspit or simply Pitter ) occupied scrap collectors drove with horse and cart or hand truck, later with cars in the shape of the flatbed the streets off and called for delivering primarily of scrap metal of any kind on. Your reputation " rags, scrap metal, paper " proves that the collective repertoire basically went over. This reputation, accompanied by a hand bell ringing or a short tune on a tin whistle while driving seemed to the presence in the district. Children then accompanied the tin whistle tune by a satirical song ( " rags, iron, bones and paper - ausgefallne teeth we collect "). During National Socialism, at least for the year 1937, a modification of the text ( as a collective song) topped with an economic content:
? Rags, iron, silver and paper, out shock? ne teeth we collect. Uncle Herman needs the stuff for the Four Year Plan. ?
On the background of the general scarcity of metallic raw materials, the "shot dumplings " has once again gained importance. Today's collectors use a speaker to make as ever attention with a melody.