Consumption

In the Minett region today we often buy our food in big supermarkets. But what were people’s consumption habits at the dawn of industrialisation? How did consumer society in the Minett develop? And were and are there alternatives for getting food on the table? This short historical documentary investigates all these questions.

The industrialisation of the Minett region gave rise to the development of a consumer society. This is not surprising, as a rise in wages led to a rise in consumption; historiographers speak of mass consumer society beginning in the interwar period. But was this transition frictionless? And did consumer society as we know it today arrive seamlessly, without contradictions?
It did not. This interactive mini documentary shows one line of development, including the hardship experienced by people and the shift between the state and free market, but also counter developments, like the history of consumer movements and the influence of migration on today’s consumption.

As well as the documentary you can look at the archive documents and photos themselves, as they are shown alongside the video. If you click on them, you can access metadata and see more pages of the respective PDF documents. This will give you a deeper insight into the history of consumption – and you can also click on “learn more” for a more comprehensive picture.