Childhood and Early Youth 29the situation worsened as he grew older. On March 1, 1729, his grand¬
father died. It appears that, as a result, Johann Georg Kant also took
charge of the business of his father-in-law. He was now the only provider
for his mother-in-law as well. He found this difficult to manage. Four years
later (in 1733) the entire family moved out of the home they had occupied
until then into the house of the grandmother — probably to be able to
take better care of her. The new house, a smaller, more modest, one-story
dwelling, also located in the outer city, provided cramped quarters for the
growing family. An open kitchen, a large living room, and two or three
small bedrooms, all sparsely furnished, made up the living space. The house
stood right by the "Sattlerstraße" or the Saddle Makers' Street. This was
of course the street in which, in accordance with customs going back to
the Middle Ages, most of the saddle and harness makers of the city lived.^15
The new business location was not as profitable as the old. Though
Emanuel's father had never had a large business, his income declined
steadily. The two most important reasons for this were increased compe¬
tition from the nearby shops of the saddle makers and the increasing age
of the father. The first was not just a consequence of the new location, but
also a direct result of the serious crisis that the guild system underwent
during the early years of the eighteenth century. Though the guild system
remained powerful, it had deep problems. This is shown by the "Opinion
of the Imperial Diet Concerning the Abuses of the Guilds" from August
14, 1731, which was meant to curb these abuses. Guilds were quarreling
with one another, and journeyman and masters did not get along as well
as they had before. The edict took away some of the rights of the guilds
and curbed others, enjoining them to
become more sedate in their ways, showing due obedience to their appointed [civil] au¬
thorities. Nonetheless, it has proven absolutely necessary to abandon our former patience
and to point out in all seriousness to masters and journeyman that, if they continue in
their irresponsible, evil, and stubborn ways, the Emperor and the Diet might easily be
moved, following the examples of other countries, and in the interest of the public, which
is hurt by such criminal, private quarrels, to suppress and abolish guilds altogether.^16
The Kant family was affected by such quarrels, but Johann Georg and
Anna Regina proved themselves to be good people in the eyes of their son:
I still remember... how the Harness makers and the Saddle makers once had a dis¬
pute about the business they had in common {Gemeinsame) because of which my fa¬
ther suffered greatly. Yet in spite of this, my parents dealt with such respect and love
with their enemies and with such a firm trust in their destiny (Vorsehung) that the
memory of this will never leave me, even though I was just a boy then.^17