Hemp and Cannabis Cultivation in Vorarlberg: History & Tradition

The spun flax and hemp were reported to be mostly exported to Germany and Switzerland around 1750, and the goods made from them were then bought back at a high price. A high-quality linen production in the country would have made sense, but the population was probably not entrepreneurial and willing to invest enough. This only changed with the rise of cotton around 1750 through initiatives from Switzerland.

Historical Cannabis Cultivation in Vorarlberg

Most field and place names that testify to the cultivation and use of hemp and flax are located at altitudes of 394 to 600 m above sea level. Hemp thrives in nutrient-rich river valleys or well-drained moorland and loves deep, humus- and nitrogen-rich, calcareous soils with good water supply, such as those found in the foothills of the Alps.
Hemp and flax were formerly the most important fiber suppliers, especially for the agricultural self-supply of yarns and linens, and later also for the textile industry. Additionally, it was also used as food. Thanks to exciting discoveries in Europe, such as a hemp rope from the Hallstatt period found in the Hallein salt mine in Austria, we now know that hemp has been cultivated for over 2000 years. A find of hemp seeds from the 9th/10th century from Gars/Thunau in Lower Austria indicates that hemp was probably cultivated for fiber production, but perhaps also as an oil or medicinal plant. The use of hemp originated in China, as evidenced by printed textiles from around 4200 – 3200 BC! You can learn more about this here.

Hemp Physiology & the Traditional Hemp Harvest

Botanically, cannabis is "dioecious," meaning it produces a male plant, also called "fimbel" or "short hemp," and a female plant, known as "tregel" or "long hemp." To deter birds like the linnet, a scarecrow, known as the "Hanfbutz," was set up in the usually small hemp fields in the Bregenz area. Expressions like "he has a life like the bird in the hemp" or "he feels like the bird in the hemp" suggest that birds were well supplied with hemp seeds as food, and with a good yield, a "hemp year" was also spoken of for humans! You can read here why the hemp plant was and is considered very valuable from an ecological point of view.
The harvest was labor-intensive and began in late summer with the male plants, followed shortly after by the female fimbel. It was also referred to as the "Raufe" or "roufen" in the sense of pulling, as the plants were usually uprooted without the use of a sickle. For "drying," they were then set up against the house or barn wall.
To obtain the seeds, the female plants were "rippled" with the so-called "Riffel," a comb-like rake that also allowed for the combing and cleaning of hemp and flax fibers. In Vorarlberg, the riffel was still attached to a riffelbock, allowing the seeds to fall out during the striking and pulling until only the empty seed husks remained. The good hemp seeds were kept as seed for the next year, while the lower-quality ones were used as bird feed or in the kitchen.

The "Röste": Determining the Quality of Hemp Fibers

Next came the "Röste," "Rösse," or "Rötzen," which decisively determined the subsequent quality of the fibers. Fields with names like "Rossa" (District of Dornbirn, City of Dornbirn), "Rossabühl" (District of Bregenz, Municipality of Andelsbuch), "Rössele" (District of Feldkirch, Municipality of Zwischenwasser), "Rossaholda" (District of Bregenz, Municipality of Schnepfau), "Rossen" (District of Bregenz, Municipality of Lingenau), or "Rozi" (District of Bludenz, Municipality of Sonntag) indicate their former use as hemp (or flax) roasts. The water roast was common in a pond or water collection basin, evidenced by field names like "Rötzeloch" (in the District of Bludenz, Municipality of Bürserberg), where the hemp plants were soaked for one to two weeks. The sun initiated the fermentation process, which dissolves the pectins in the plant stem that connect the fibers with the solid wood components.
Before further processing, the fibers had to be dried again, either outdoors or in so-called "bath or breaking rooms" – also evidenced by old field designations like "Badstube" in the District of Feldkirch and in the Municipality of Schlins. The word "baden" in this context meant heating, which was supposed to soften the hemp and flax fibers.

Processing: From Breaking to Hackling

The next step, known as "Brecheln," was exhausting and time-consuming, and was primarily performed as a communal autumn activity by women, accompanied by rich customs. Here, the fibers were completely separated from the stem husks using increasingly finer breaking tools. The "Brechel" is a long scissor-like wooden device made up of several parts with a sharp-edged breaking plate with slots into which one or more scissor blades fit. The coarse and fine breaking tools were either fixed in designated wall holes in the brechelhütte or on special breaking stools. Again, field names reveal the Alemannic term "Grammle" for the hemp breaker, where breaking took place – for example, "Gramlasta" (District of Bludenz, Municipality of Bürs), "Gramla(sta)" (District of Bregenz, Municipality of Bizau), or "Gramla" (District of Bregenz, Municipality of Schoppernau). The broken hemp fibers were then braided into so-called "werg braids" or bundled and rubbed in the "Hanfriebe" driven by a water wheel through a conical stone. The field name "Riebe" in the city of Dornbirn and the market municipality of Götzis (today the Riebe swimming pool) attests to such places. After the fibers were beaten over the "Schwinge" or a "Schwingstock," the last step was "Hächeln" or "hecheln," where the fibers were repeatedly pulled in tufts through the hackle. Just like with breaking, one started here with a coarse-toothed hemp hackle and progressed to finer teeth. Not all fibers were fine enough to be processed into threads for linen, but everything found its use. Coarse fibers could be used to stuff barrels or seal houses, while the finer ones were processed into ropes, known as "Hanfbuste," sacks, or coarse cloth. Even the hackling waste could be found in some bedding fillings! Linguistically, hemp was also represented as an adjective. Thus, products made from hemp were referred to as "hanfen" or in the Vorarlberg dialect as "hänfen" or "hempfe," such as a hänferner rope or a "hänfes Tuech."

Hemp as Food & Medicinal Plant

In the 16th century, hemp can be found in almost all herbal books, mostly with references to its medicinal use from that time, e.g., for asthma, glaucoma, tumors, epilepsy, muscle cramps, rheumatism, or migraines. However, there was never any mention of the intoxicating effect for which it was well known in the East. For use in the kitchen, medieval cookbooks include recipes for cheese made from hemp, hemp soup, pressed, baked, or fried hemp, hemp cakes, or hemp dumplings.

Expressions Related to Hemp Cultivation in Vorarlberg

Auhänfern (DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Schlins): "Ouwe" or "Ouwa" (land by the water, island): A piece of land near water where hemp was cultivated.
Hampfara (DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Satteins): Hanfərə (dialectally Hampfere) stands for the hemp plantation, but also for a meadow where hemp was previously grown.
Hanefrötz (Lower Austria, DISTRICT Korneuburg, Municipality of Hausleiten): Hanef for hemp and roeze or röste – a field where the hemp roasting took place.
Hanfacker (Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bludenz, Municipality of Nenzing / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Bildstein): Hanef, Han(i)f for hemp – a field where hemp was cultivated.
Hanfbühl (Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Andelsbuch): hanef, han(i)f for hemp and bühel for hill – a hill where hemp was cultivated.
Hanffeld (Tyrol, DISTRICT Innsbruck-Land, Municipality of Telfs): hanef, han(i)f for hemp – a field where hemp was cultivated.
Hanfholz (Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Möggers): hanef, han(i)f for hemp and holz for wood, but also forest – forest by a hemp field.
Hanfland (Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Andelsbuch / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Egg / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Lochau (dialect form: hámbfland) / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Schwarzach / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Schwarzenberg / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bludenz, Municipality of Nenzing / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Dornbirn, Municipality of Dornbirn / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Altach / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Dünserberg / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Feldkirch / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Frastanz / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Götzis / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Koblach / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Feldkirch, Municipality of Zwischenwasser): hanef, han(i)f for hemp – plot of land where hemp was cultivated.
Hanfwies (Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Buch / Vorarlberg, DISTRICT Bregenz, Municipality of Sulzberg): Etymology: -wiese with hanef, han(i)f for hemp with wiese - meadow where hemp was cultivated.
Settlement names related to hemp
Hanfthal (Lower Austria, DISTRICT Mistelbach, Municipality of Laa an der Thaya): see field name Hanfthal.
Hanif (Salzburg, DISTRICT Sankt Johann im Pongau, Municipality of Sankt Johann im Pongau / single farm, isolated): hanif for hemp - place where hemp was cultivated.

Excursions: Etymology of "Canvas" & the Linnet Bird

"Canvas" refers to a fabric that is tightly and densely woven from strong yarn. The term comes from English and originally referred to sailcloth, which was usually made from pure hemp and linen. The word dates back to the 13th century and comes from the Anglo-Saxon Canevaz and the Old French Canevas for canvas. It is derived from the Latin Cannapaceus for cannabis ("from hemp") and from the Greek word κάνναβις (Kannabis). Through the dominance of the British Empire and later the worldwide Americanization after World War II, canvas became a global term.
A bird reveals its preference for the plant. The common linnet (Linaria cannabina) from the finch family is also called "Hänfling" or "flax finch." The male has a bright carmine-red forehead and breast, and the small birds love seeds of all kinds! As a resident of cultivated land, the table was once richly set for him on the hemp and flax fields. However, due to the loss of wildflower flora in intensive agriculture, he is now considered endangered in Germany and will surely be pleased with the return of the hemp plant with its nutritious seeds!

Source:
Theresa Hohenauer, The Former Distribution of Hemp, Flax, and Beaver, A Linguistic-Cultural Historical Analysis of Place Names in Austria
www.landnutzung.at/dokumente/Abschlussmanuskript_Hohenauer.pdf
Image source: © Tabea Walch / Hanafsan