The Bergisches Land is one of the most charming cultural landscapes in Germany. It has managed to preserve its original character like few others. This book tells the story of the typical customs and traditions of the people between the Wupper, Sieg, and Rhine rivers, who have long been known for their sociability and whose ways of thinking and acting have often been passed down through many generations. The anecdotes and stories, illustrated with numerous historical images, provide interesting, amusing, and sometimes eerie insights into the lives of the people in the Bergisches Land since the 16th century. Entertaining and historically grounded, the renowned local historian Olaf Link narrates the rituals surrounding birth and baptism, wedding customs, the strict rules of everyday life, and the traditions related to illness and death. Olaf Link invites you on a journey through time.