Basement apartment in the side wing at Bergstraße 38 in Berlin, taken in 1910. - The original caption reads: "Left side wing. The basement window to the left of the house entrance belongs to the apartment of the sick, the staircase leading down has 8 steps. The two remaining cellar windows illuminate the horse stable, the entrance to which is formed by the wooden door." Flash photograph. - The photo was taken on behalf of the Berlin Housing Enquête of the "Ortskrankenkasse der Kaufleute, Handelsleute und Apotheker" (Local Health Insurance Fund of Merchants, Tradesmen and Pharmacists) to document the living quarters in Berlin's slums. The study was intended to draw attention to the disastrous housing conditions as one of the main causes of widespread disease, in order to persuade the state and local authorities to combat the poor housing conditions. Photo: Fotoarchiv fuer Zeitgeschichte/Archiv [automated translation]
