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Obsolete Occupations of the Netherlands

© Cor Snabel

Soap maker (zeepzieder)

The soap making business goes back till the 15th century and the ingredients were always strictly regulated in order to protect the quality. The top years in the early 1600 could be characterized by small-scaled production; most soap makers had only two or three man on their pay list. Such a small company could produce between 30 to 60 barrels of the famous green soap per week. During the following 150 years the companies grew, but the production and quality declined.

The Dutch zeepzieders produced two kinds of soap: summer- and winter soap. The two main ingredients were hemp-oil and coleseed-oil. From Martinmas (11 November) until Shrove Tuesday (six weeks before Easter) the mixture contained two parts hemp-oil and one part coleseed-oil and from Shrove Tuesday until Martinmas two parts coleseed-oil and one part hemp-oil. These two kinds of soap were called winter- and summer soap. In later years linseed oil became the third ingredient, but it had to be crystal clear, not turbid. But increasing oil-prices forced the soap makers to bend their rules sometimes; in 1704 and 1716 they were allowed to use butter in the summer soap and in 1709 and 1740 they added talc, which had a negative effect on the quality. Those deviations from the rules were exceptions, the quality had to be protected. Soap makers who broke the rules by using fish-oil could count on a 300 guilders fine and closure of their mill for at least three months.

The barrels in which the soap were stored had to have three different brands: a W or S for the kind of soap, the mark of the soap maker and the coat of arms of the town. An official “burner”, appointed by the city authorities, did this; it’s obvious that this had something to do with taxes.

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