The Time of the Wolves

The Cruel Cold of 1709

People suffered through the cruel cold of 1709, enduring the frostiest phase of the past 10,000 years; many perished. Even in Portugal, rivers froze, and palm trees sank into the snow. All across Europe, frozen fish drifted in the water, deer lay dead in the meadows, livestock froze to death in barns, and birds plummeted to the ground like stones.

At the time, the climate was generally harsher than today. Europe was in the midst of the “Little Ice Age.”

As early as mid-October 1708, the first unusually cold wave arrived. Until mid-November, temperatures remained just below freezing. Then, the unusual weather—an early warning of the catastrophe—was briefly forgotten as a temporary warm spell set in. But at the beginning of December, the wind shifted to the east, bringing air from Siberia into Europe. No one yet suspected that a deadly cold spell was coming, one that would last for more than four months.

The cold air gradually pushed southward. After a brief warming around Christmas, the frost returned with even greater force. Temperatures dropped further each day. In Berlin, for example, it reached minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F) on January 10, 1709.

In ordinary households, firewood supplies were quickly exhausted. From Scandinavia to Italy, from Poland to Portugal, entire families froze to death in their homes. Many people lost limbs, ears, or noses. The frost also mutilated animals—roosters lost their combs. Epidemics spread. Fires were set up in town squares to provide warmth for the poor.

But there was no escaping the cold. Travelers froze to death on the roads throughout Europe. Many cities were cut off from food supplies. Many businesses came to a halt. Famine broke out across Europe. Those who still had bread needed an axe to break apart the frozen loaves.

Almost everything turned to ice. The frost split trees apart, froze the ground to great depths, and froze Europe’s waterways. Even the Rhine was passable with a horse-drawn wagon.

The Time of the Wolves

It is documented that this was the time of the wolves. Ravenous wolves prowled around villages. They attacked cattle, wild animals, and horse-drawn wagons. Soon, the predators lost all fear and even broke into food storage rooms. People also fell victim to them. Hunger had driven the wolves into Central Europe.

The residents of the Wassenberg district undoubtedly suffered during this brutal cold.
One must consider that in 1709, there were no houses with insulation even remotely comparable to modern buildings. Structures at the time were typically half-timbered with clay walls, rather than stone. Clothing was certainly not designed for such a prolonged cold spell. Most homes had only a single fireplace, and in this extreme cold, the inhabitants likely all huddled together in one bed for warmth. The open-air museums in Kommern and Grefrath vividly illustrate the living conditions of that time.

A report from that time has been preserved from the neighboring village of Birgelen, giving us insight into the hardships people faced:

“In one of the early years of the 18th century, a fiercely cold winter brought great hardship to our homeland. One day, terrifying news came from Birgelen: several wolves had been seen in the forests, likely having wandered in from the Ardennes. The tracks of the predators were also found. Nightly raids on people and livestock soon filled the population with great fear. On the ‘Romper Hof’ farm, the hungry animals tore apart the farm dog. A four-year-old son of the Adams family in Birgelen, who had gone outside in the evening without his parents’ knowledge, was found by his father only as a lifeless body after he had fought off the wolves in a desperate struggle.

At night, no one dared step outside anymore, and the increasing number of tragic incidents prompted the village leader to call a meeting. The men deliberated at length about what should be done in such distress and ultimately decided to conduct a general wolf hunt, while the women planned a pilgrimage to the Pützchen shrine to pray for help.

At the appointed hour, the women gathered for the procession, and all the men—without exception—joined them in the prayer march. They believed that a pilgrimage would be more successful than the most effective wolf hunt. Their firm faith was rewarded; rabies broke out among the wolves, and the dead animals were later found in the snowy forests of Wassenberg-Birgelen.”

Sources:

1. Excerpts from: Süddeutsche.de – The Millennium Winter, article from May 17, 2010
2. Book: Church History of the Wassenberg Region, Broich and Heinrichs