There are tens of occupations mentioned in Czech registries. I have prepared a list of those most common occupations in four languages, Czech, German, Latin and English.
This is first version of the list. I'll add new occupations time to time to fill in possible gaps. The occupations mentioned there are those which are most common. If you are not able to find "your" occupation in the list, please let me know and I'll add it.
| Czech | German | Latin | English |
| bednář | Binder | vietor | cooper |
| celoláník | Ganzlähner | rusticus | owner of one hide of land |
| chalupník | Chalupner | curticulus | small peasant, cottager |
| čeledín | Knecht | famulus | farm hand |
| čtvrtláník | Viertler | rusticus | owner of 1/4 hide of land |
| domkář | Häusler | casarius, gazarius | peasant cottager |
| gruntovník | Grundbesitzers | --- | owner of farm, farmer |
| hrnčíř | Töpfer | fornator | potter |
| kolář | Wagner | rotarius | wheeler |
| kovář | Schmidt | faber | blacksmith |
| koželuh | Gerber | pellifex, coriarius | tanner |
| krejčí | Schneider | sartor | taylor |
| kupec | Kaufmann | mercator | merchant |
| láník | Lähner | rusticus | owner of one hide of land |
| měšťan | Bürger | civis | burgher |
| mistr | Meister | magister | master |
| mlynář | Müller | molitor | miller |
| mydlář | Seifensieder | saponarius | soap maker |
| nádeník | Taglöhner | operarius | day-labourer |
| ovčák | Schäfer | opilio | shepherd |
| pastýř | Hirt | opilio | shepherd |
| pekař | Bäcker | pistor | baker |
| písař | Schreiber | scriba | scribe, typist |
| podruh | Inmann | inquilinus | hind, farm-help |
| pololáník | Halblähner | semirusticus | owner of 1/2 hide of land |
| porodní bába | Hebamme | obstetrix | midwife |
| radní | Ratsherr | senator | councilman |
| rolník | Ackermann | incola | farmer |
| rybář | Fischer | piscator | fisherman |
| rychtář | Richter | judex, iudex | reeve |
| řezník | Fleischer | lanius | butcher |
| sedlák | Bauer | rusticus | farmer |
| sládek | Brauer | braxator | brewer |
| slouha | Knecht | famulus | servant |
| soukeník | Tuchmacher | textor | draper |
| soused* | Nachbar | --- | neighbor |
| starosta | Bürgermeister | primator | mayor |
| svobodník | Freie | libertinus | personally free man |
| šafář | Schaffer | villicus | steward |
| šenkýř | Schänker | caupo | innkeeper |
| švec | Schuhmacher | sutor | shoemaker |
| tesař | Zimmermann | carpentarius | carpenter |
| tkadlec | Weber | textor | weaver |
| tovaryš | Gesell | famulus | journeyman |
| truhlář | Tischler | scrinarius, cantarius | cabinet-maker, joiner |
| učitel | Lehrer, Schullehrer | ludi magister | teacher |
| uhlíř | Köhler | carbonarius | coal-miner |
| úředník | Beamte | officialis | clerk |
| zahradník* | Gärtner, Gärtler | hortulanus | peasant |
| zedník | Maurer | murarius | bricklayer |
*Soused - in villages; status similar to the burgher in town.
*Zahradník has two different meanings - peasant, who owned house with garden, was one meaning, gardener is another. If you see zahradník in registries, 99 percent of them are peasants, not gardeners.
Oh yes! Thank you Blanka! This should help me so much when I'm in the Brno archives (Moravia). That is turning out to be such a treasure trove of information for both sets of grandparents since they all were born in nearby villages in region of Hodonin. I also tried genteam.at as you suggested here, and it's very useful to locate village information. You're wonderfully helpful. (e.g. I have seen "domkar" so many times and didn't know what it referred to; thought it was something about "living in".
ReplyDeleteI have one that I don't seem to see in this list. It's baffled me, partly because I'm not sure if I'm transcribing it correctly.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like "grunsovnika." I have a scanned version of the record on a recent post I did. It's under Barbara REINDL's entry. Maybe you can trascribe it better. Any ideas?
Brian, it's "gruntovnika". Gruntovnik is a owner of grunt, where "grunt" stands for any house with fields. It's common word which covers cottages, both large and small farms etc. I'll add it to the table above.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I did run across his death record (in German) where it said he was a "Bauer." So, that makes more sense now.
ReplyDeleteOh, excellent! I know some of them, but it's so helpful to have a ready list of possibilities when faced with a difficult hand to read.
ReplyDeleteRose, I'm happy the list of occupations helped you!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Blanko! Very Nice and Helpful blog.
ReplyDeleteHere are a few more occupations I have run into:
dělník, pracovník Arbeiter laborator worker, laborer
dřevorubec Holzhauer lignator woodcutter
duchovní Geistlicher clerus? = clergy clergyman
koželuh Gerber coriarius tanner
kuchař Koch coctor cook
lékař Artzt medicus doctor
obchodník, kupec Kaufmann emptor merchant
polosedlák Bauer agricola farmer
řemeslník Handwerker mechanicus craftsman
richtář Bürgermeister praetor mayor
sluha (m), služka (f) Hausdiener, Knecht servitor servant
voják Soldat miles soldier
zahradník Gärtner hortulanus gardener
And here are some I could use your help on:
Obecniho slouby =?
šafář na Svamberg = ?
polosedlák = ? (Doesn't polo = semi or partial?
Dekujem,
Dan
Obecní slouha - municipal servant; usually person who delivers messages, who is taking care for the town hall etc.
DeleteŠafář - steward
Polosedlák - half-farmer; the one who owns half a land of usual farmer.
Thank you so much. I have been looking for a list like this for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI just ran into one... havíř. If I translated it correctly it is a miner, probably a coal miner. Does this sound correct?
ReplyDeleteuhliř = charcoal burner
ReplyDeleteBlanko,
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so willing to share. I've just begun researching my ancestors from Frenštat where about every third person is a weaver.
tkadlec - Weber - textor - weaver
Can you help me with these?
pasekář
obuonik
Dekujem,
Ed