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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Abräumer

English translation:

(local area) workers

Added to glossary by casper (X)
Dec 4, 2011 13:52
12 yrs ago
German term

Abräumer

German to English Art/Literary History history book
This is from a book on the history of Berlin. This section is about the development of Krausnickstrasse.

"Neu angelegte Straßen brauchen einen Namen. Die Einwohner, Anlieger, **Abräumer** und andere Mitdenker schlugen ungefragt und unbefugt vor, die neue Straße nach Humboldt zu benennen oder nach Schinkel. Den König von Preußen interessierte das nicht. Die Straße mußte »zu Ehren des Oberbürgermeisters Krausnick« heißen. "

Does Abräumer here mean people who made way for the road, or who cleared its path, or something else entirely? Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you!
Proposed translations (English)
2 (local area) workers
3 busybody enforcers
3 opportunists
References
Speculation
Change log

Dec 6, 2011 13:30: casper (X) Created KOG entry

Discussion

Rachel Ward (asker) Dec 5, 2011:
No mention of peat. The only other bit of information is: Krausnickstraße. Diese Verbindung wurde erst 1861 durch ein Grundstück gezogen, das der SchutzmannsPensions-Zuschußkasse gehörte.
philgoddard Dec 4, 2011:
Kim's speculation about peatcutters also looks convincing - but only if there is some other mention of peat in the text. Is that the case, Rachel?
philgoddard Dec 4, 2011:
Could it mean developers, in the sense of people who sweep old stuff away and replace it with new?
Trude Stegmann Dec 4, 2011:
This author clearly likes alliterations and other wordplay...the phrasing of "Abräumer und andere Mitdenker" carries in its generalization a distinct whiff of ironic contempt for busybody burghers making suggestions to garner publicity or acting to serve their own interest in other ways. Taking Usch's remark into account I'd suggest the above "busybody enforcers"
Usch Pilz Dec 4, 2011:
I know "Abräumer" from bowling, if you successfully down the pins. =r from soccer if you are the one who scores a goal after some others have helped with the preparations. Sometimes the word is used in the sense of 'enforcer'. Your 'clearing the way'-idea could be supported by the latter. Sorry I can't be more specific.

Proposed translations

14 hrs
Selected

(local area) workers

'Abräumer' can mean 'Bedienhilfe', hence my idea of 'workers' or 'local area workers'.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "This works best, I think. Thanks."
1 hr

busybody enforcers

people who are keen to attract publicity by creaming off chances provided by others
Reference:

http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&lang=de&searchLoc=0&cmpType=relaxed&sectHdr=on&spellToler=&search=Abr%C3%A4umer

Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : Your dictionary reference says something completely different.
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
8 hrs

opportunists

Not particularly specific, but another suggestion which might be suitable in this context as these people are trying take advantage of the circumstances.

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Note added at 8 hrs (2011-12-04 22:09:20 GMT)
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whoops - trying *to* take advantage..
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Reference comments

1 hr
Reference:

Speculation

This is a real long shot, but I thought I'd offer it as a possibility. The site for the new street was a peat bank (Torfstich) before it was sold to the city. Maybe the Abräumer were peat cutters.

Die Krausnickstraße wurde im 19. Jahrhundert angelegt. Ihren noch heute gültigen Namen erhielt sie am 7. Oktober 1861 nach dem damaligen Berliner Oberbürgermeister. Die Anlage der Straße mit der nachfolgenden Bebauung ist dem vermögenden Besitzer eines Torfstiches aus Fehrbellin zu verdanken. Dieser ließ die Flächen parzellieren und verkaufte sie an betuchte Interessenten, die hier ansehnliche Wohnhäuser errichten ließen.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krausnickstraße

Besonders gefällt uns auch ein Ölbild, das den letzten Bürmooser Torfstecher Hermann Gratzl beim „Abräumen“ seines Torfstiches zeigt.

http://www.mei-flachgau.at/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/news-B...

Nach dem sorgfältigen Abräumen des Humus wurde der Torf in Fräschels mit so genannten «Einer-Eisen» zu etwa 50 mal 10 mal 7 Zentimeter grossen «Stücken» ausgestochen. In der Regel waren in der Tiefe drei Stiche möglich, wobei die unterste «Etage» meist schon ordentlich vom Grundwasser getränkt war.

http://193.247.189.70/fn/smifrontendprod/vtArtikel.cfm?id=47...
Before the peat cutting could start there is the final preparatory stage of ‘cleaning’ the rough uneven soil/peat layer left over from removing the turf. This exposed the pure peat surface which measures about 20in (500mm) across.
http://www.barvasandbrue.com/story-of-peat.htm
Note from asker:
Interesting! Not sure whether it works here as there's no other reference to peat though.
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Barbara Wiebking : Sounds quite plausible to me!
6 hrs
agree Cilian O'Tuama : (makes more sense in the context than the 2 answers so far) or phil's developers/city planners...
9 hrs
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