Die schwarzen Brüder
| Author | Lisa Tetzner |
|---|---|
| Country | Switzerland |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Novel |
|
Publication date
|
1941 |
Die schwarzen Brüder (English: The Black Brothers) is the best-known story of German writer Lisa Tetzner and one of the most widely read children's books in the world.
The book was published in 1941 and tells the fact-based story of Giorgio, a boy from Sonogno in the Verzasca Valley in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. In historical chronicles, the author had read of a ferry disaster drowning some 30 chimney sweeps boys (Italian Spazzacamini). The boys were sold to the City of Milan for poverty in the middle of the 19th century.
The novel was started by Lisa Tetzner, and finished by her husband Kurt Held (actually Kurt Kläber). Kläber later published the novel Die Rote Zora und ihre Bande.
Georgio grew up in the small Ticino mountain village Sonogno. His parents were poor mountain farmers. One day his mother broke her leg, Giorgio was sold as a boy chimney sweep to Milano, as the family had no money to pay for the medical treatment of his mother. A scarfaced man (referred to only as Der Mann mit der Narbe (The man with the scar)), Antonio Luini bought him for the sum of twenty Swiss Franks and gathered him and others to bring to Milan. During his journey to Milan Giorgio met Alfredo, who came from a village in the Misox. The boat capsized, drowning many of the boys, only a few made their way to the lakeshore where they were picked up by Luini and brought to Milan.
Giorgio was sold to Mr. Rossi, a chimney sweep in Milan who was under the influence of his hard-hearted wife. Giorgio was humiliated by her son Anselmo and get barely enough to eat. Nicoletta, Rossi's deathly sick daughter helped him a lot sharing her food and calming her mother.
Georgio soon met with other boy chimney sweeps and was received in the community of "The Black Brothers". Together, they withstood the attacks from local boys called Die Wölfe (The Wolves).
Underfeeding and hard work weakened Giorgio. While working in a clogged chimney, breaking loose blocks of sooth in the smoke of a fire still burning, he almost died. When he fell down unconscious, he was taken care of by a Ticino physician, Dr. Casella who was attending a festivity in the house mentioned. Dr. Caseela later encouraged Giorgio and his friends to flee Milan and seek help in his estate in Lugano.
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