Archaeological Evidence from Göttingen and North German Towns
10.1515/9783110677065.Abstract
Accessibility to clean water is a fundamental need of medieval towns. It was a necessary supply in private households, in craft and industry, for mills and for livestock husbandry. To assure this, natural streams and rivers were used, forming dividing, as well as connecting elements in the townscape. In north German towns, with Göttingen as an example, water supply was provided by private wells and by public infrastructure, such as water pipes. Archaeological evidence for both exists and examples are given. Some towns needed a Wasserkunst (waterworks) to lift the water in the pipes with sufficient pressure. Most plots of land also had a cesspit for the disposal of faeces. The vicinity of the fresh water supply and sanitation have often been cited as an example of poor hygienic standards. Evidence for this statement - often repeated unchallenged - is discussed in this paper. Water quality was monitored and attended to, which is shown not least in the praise of fresh, clear water in texts, and in costly fountains in marketplaces.