Peasant Life in the Black Forest 



647 



THE MAIN STREET 0E BAIERSBRONN, IN THE BEACK FOREST 



your strange presence, they always salute 

 you with a "Grilss Gott" in meeting you 

 upon the highway. 



But whatever restrictions the hard, 

 routine labor places upon the inhabitants, 

 they are not without recreation, religious 

 life, and amusements; not without their 

 social gatherings at the inns, not without 

 their folk-songs, and not entirely with- 

 out a knowledge of the outside world. 



Every child attends the Sunday school ; 

 practically every adult is a member of 

 the Lutheran Church. The parish minis- 

 ter, therefore, who is appointed and paid 

 by the state, is an important personage 

 and wields a powerful influence over the 

 thought and life of the community. In 

 addition to his religious duties, he is gen- 

 eral supervising inspector of the public 

 schools. This position gives him a spe- 

 cial opportunity to direct the religious in- 

 struction of the youth. 



Next to him in importance is the 

 schoolmaster, cooperating with the min- 



ister in. sacred as well as secular instruc- 

 tion ; for he not only directs the music 

 of the church service, but is the regu- 

 larly appointed Sunday-school teacher. 

 For this service, however, he receives 

 extra pay, and as a consequence regards 

 this part of his work as seriously as that 

 of his regular school duties. Religious 

 instruction of the youth is, therefore, 

 thorough and systematic ; in it every 

 child must follow a regular course lead- 

 ing to the "confirmation" certificate, 

 which represents the completion of the 

 biblical instruction. 



But while the minister is supported by 

 the state, except occasional voluntary 

 contributions for private ministrations, 

 the church edifice itself is raised by vol- 

 untary gifts from the members. By na- 

 ture and training intensely religious, the 

 inhabitants lend a willing support to an 

 institution which strengthens their faith 

 in a future life as rich and perfect as the 

 present life is destitute and incomplete. 



