The social patronage of the 19th century

      "Mutual or social security, hospitals, mutual insurance companies, salary guarantees, pension funds", so many familiar terms to describe social organisations, which can today help all employees. However, in the 19th century (especially in the industrial regions), life was far more precarious. The memories of the generous social patronage of the Champagne Houses of the period stand witness to a long tradition of enlightened social policies, which are continued today in other forms.

France at the time of the Industrial Revolution

      The 19th century was the one of steam, steel, electricity and oil with all of the resulting industrial changes: transport became faster and faster, whether by rail or sea and even saw the beginnings of aviation. This was a real revolution in terms of working habits, which transformed craft to manufacture and so changed the craftsmen into workers who were attracted to the towns, leaving the countryside behind them. It was also the period of the telephone and the typewriter, which were to modernise all companies, and bureaucratic organisations, so multiplying the number of civil servants. With all the discoveries of this century, Science became the "benefactor of humanity".
      But what about the men? What was the life like for this multitude of employees who had left the countryside and were recruited in increasingly large and organised factories as so well portrayed by Charlie Chaplin in "Modern Times".
      The second half of the century saw the beginnings of change by social legislation albeit poorly respected at first. In around 1860, the working week was still 84 hours. It only changed to 60 hours with the law of 1906 concerning a weekly rest day. It should also be noted that it was not until 1841 that a law was finally passed limiting the work of children from 8 to 12 years to 8 hours in the factories !

What was happening in Champagne ?

      We did not behave in the Champagne region in the same way as in the coal mines, the iron and steel industry or the mills. The cultivation of the Champagne vineyards and the elaboration of its wines made it one of the rare regions to be least affected by this rural exodus. Its production remained a traditional craft and already required a tight relationship between the negociants and the vine-growers (certainly less convivial than those we know today). In effect, the principal concern of the negociants was to make their Champagne known beyond national boundaries. At this period, it was a matter of creating from start to finish the worldwide reputation of the wines of Champagne before even thinking about improving the productivity of their Houses. The new industrial wave of the 19th century also allowed them to perfect their tools, improve their production and organise their work in a rational fashion.
      In 1780, Claude Möet, a daring entrepreneur carried away by the economic boom of this period, already produced 50,000 bottles despite the risk of "breakage" of bottles, which exploded in series at this time and so discouraged a good number of producers. G.B. Shaw, an Irish writer deeply concerned by social questions related that in 1863, three men lost one eye each during the explosion of bottles, which were subject to a too violent second fermentation. These regrettable accidents take us back to our subject. What happened to a worker who was the victim of an accident? You have to keep in mind that the confiscation of the possessions of the clergy and the anticlericalism, which refused all interference by the clergy in public affairs, had suppressed the devoted and free assistance given by the religious orders before there was anything to replace it. There was a cruel deficiency in "public charity", medical assistance for everyone and shelter for elderly people.
It was then that the most important Champagne Houses accepted to take over by showing an exceptional generosity. Amongst others, three important buildings still stand witness to this exceptional altruism: the Auban-Moët Hospital at Épernay, the Hôtel de la Mutualité (the historic public building for mutual assurance) and the Roederer retirement home at Reims.

The Auban-Moët Hospital: an exemplary social patronage

Let us leave to one side the gifts, which allowed the construction of churches, private schools and cultural acts, in order to focus on the purely social work of this family, and in particular the building of the Auban-Moët Hospital. Camille-Victor Auban who had married his cousin Sidonie Rachel Moët de Romont, and so became an associate of the Champagne House of Moët & Chandon.
		Centre hospitalier Auban-Moët et stèle de Camille-Victor Auban

      He donated the enormous amount of 1.6 million French francs to build this hospital and its chapel. The work started in 1887 and was inaugurated in 1893. The Épernay hospital, which was to become the third most important employer in the town (and which is still operational) celebrated its centenary in December 1993. This provided the opportunity for several celebrations, exhibitions, conferences and visits. A thousand people visited the chapel and its crypt (both constructed at the suggestion of Mr. Gérard, Mayor of Épernay in 1888), which was to be the burial place of the donating family. In 1943, for the fiftieth anniversary of this same hospital, the daughter of the second wife of Mr. Auban-Moët gave a donation of 100,000 French francs and bequeathed a million French francs to this establishment, which had the responsibility of maintaining the chapel and the crypt for life. She also built a sanatorium situated on rue Croix de Bussy, which has now become a retirement home named "Saint-Marthe", the Christian name of her daughter who died from tuberculosis.
      Another social achievement by Camille Victor Auban-Moët took into account the problems of mothers involved in the handling operations during the elaboration of Champagne or in other tasks such as, harvesting, bottling and labelling. This consisted of the construction of two nurseries at Épernay, one in 1887 on rue des Jancelins and the other on rue Thiercelin in 1891. Camille-Victor Auban-Moët gave them the name of his prematurely deceased first wife, "crèches Rachel" (the Rachel nurseries).
      An honorary and merited reward did justice to the social actions of Moët & Chandon towards its employees. At the Universal Exhibition of 1900, this House received a gold medal for its social acts, which gave its employees a free medical service, financial help to families, sick people and retired people as well as assistance for housing and legal aid etc...

The Hospice and Historic Public Building for Mutual assurance: two donations by Roederer

      At the very beginning of the 19th century, Madame Roederer-Boisseau, an important benefactress of religious works, had a Hospice for elderly people constructed at the rue de Courlancy. On 19th October 1899, it was inaugurated by the Archbishop and several other well-known personalities (including Mr. Charles Heidsieck).
      In 1903, the "Soeurs Augustines Hospitalières" (religious order of Augustine sisters) were expelled from the Reims hospital (formerly the Hôtel Dieu) by a blind and brutal application of the secularisation of public buildings as decreed by the government of Mr. Combes. At the Roederer Hospice, they found shelter and above all a new place for total and free devotion, which represented the unique aspirations of their admirable vocation. In this way, Roederer enabled the people of Reims to keep a religious congregation, which worked without interruption within its walls since the year 449 (the period when the Roman Gaul still lived in fear of the barbarians of Attila the Hun, even before the Christian protection by Clovis !).

Initially designed for 50 people, housed in communal dormitories, the Hospice was modernised and for a long time was an essential annex for the Reims Hospital with departments for care and convalescence etc... It has now regained its initial vocation and receives about one hundred residents undergoing medical courses of treatment on a long term basis, thanks to the devotion of the16 Augustine Sisters, assisted by nurses, care-workers and other employees of the Regional Hospital Centre (CHR).

      The recent creation of numerous similar establishments during the last decades are proof of the incomparable services rendered for almost one hundred years to families of very diverse backgrounds. They have benefited from the tireless medical care of the Augustine Religious Order at the Roederer Foundation !
      In 1912, Léon Olry-Roederer donated the current Hôtel de la Mutualité (historic public building for mutual assurance) to the town of Reims. The "Maison de la Mutualité" was inaugurated in 1913 by Raymond Poincaré and destroyed during the War. A commemorative plaque reminds us that in 1927, it was rebuilt on the very site of the first offices and cellars of the House of Louis Roederer, whose origins go back to the 18th century.
      The use of this considerable heritage of buildings allowed local companies of "Secours Mutuels" (mutual aid) to manage the interests of their members as well as possible as, at the time, they had no other social security than that which they provided for themselves. The monumental painting which adorns the reception hall at the Hôtel de la Mutualité reminds us of the admirable efforts of self-management of the workers of the period, albeit encouraged by the generosity of an employer as concerned with social patronage as with breaking into new markets. This important building situated in the heart of Reims conserves all of its value and serves as the head office of the "Mutualité marnaise" (Marne Mutual Assurance). Its name symbolises the services, which continue to be rendered with the altruist and liberal spirit of its donator, the House of Roederer.

The creation of a Society of Mutual Assistance

      Another act of social patronage, this time concerning trade unions, also contributed to the social protection of the workers of Champagne. In 1882, under the impetus of the Champagne Houses of Heidsieck and Mumm respectively, the "Syndicat du Commerce des Vins de Champagne" (the Commercial Union for the wines of Champagne) was created to defend the Champagne Appellation. This was at a period when there were enormous risks of seeing it fall into the public domain.

In 1886, the Society of Mutual Assistance (Société de Secours mutuels) was created in Reims by the barrel makers and cellar workers. The Union of negociants was financially involved in the creation. The aim of this Society was "to ensure for its members, medical care and financial compensation in case of sickness, temporary help in case of disability and finally a suitable funeral in case of death". In the report produced by the General Assembly of 25th May 1887, the President of the Union, Florens Walbaum expressed his wish that this type of association should not be limited to the town of Reims. He ensured that the Union would grant "its favour and assistance" to mutual societies who wanted to become established within the region.

      With the benefit of hindsight, some cynical characters could argue that this was just an act of paternalism. This would be to forget that these donations had no other motivation than pure generosity! Besides this, they opened the way to the organised solidarity that we know! Today, the Champagne Houses are no longer directly responsible for the same social issues, because the working world is now largely protected either by social security or a mutual assurance, completed by material assistance for the unemployed.
      These Houses retain the liberal and altruist spirit of their creators who were forerunners in social matters. They share the prosperity of their companies with their employees not only with profit-sharing schemes but also with a very complete social security cover, which has never been questioned despite the difficult economic situation with results that give serious concerns to their managers.
      The lead that they have taken in this field is still important with enviable special advantages. These include the refund of the costs involved in hospitalisation, for sickness, a total guarantee of salary in case of sick leave or accident up until retirement, or even a capital and a pension given to the spouse in case of the death of the employee. In order to be convinced, let the figures speak for themselves: to give 100 French francs to an employee, a Champagne House must pay 90 French francs in charges to the diverse organisations of retirement, social security, professional training, etc...
      The Houses must overcome the economic crisis, but despite this they do not neglect their social environment.

Interviews conducted by B. Arnold in 1995