Die Kautabakmeisterin von Nordhausen | Die Letzte ihres Standes

The chewing tobacco master was produced in 2007 for the series "The Last of His Kind" in cooperation with Bavarian Broadcasting. Lieselotte Fischer is a chewing tobacco master and spinner. She comes from Nordhausen, the former center of the German chewing tobacco industry. Today, only one small factory in the Harz Mountains serves the last remaining consumers. The production process, methods, and machinery belong to another era. In a cool cellar, the master begins mixing the so-called "sauce." Over forty ingredients, from Samos wine to figs, are weighed according to a secret recipe book and then cooked in a huge cauldron. After selecting the tobacco, Lieselotte Fischer cuts it into strips, while Anna Gerks prepares the spinning table. Then, using a special machine, they both spin the material into an endless strand. Cutting and spinning were once master craftsmen's trades. For over six months, the tobacco strand is flavored in various sauces before it is packaged. Before the war, there were factories with up to 1800 employees. The film contrasts unique footage from that era with today's production.