TINY SHOPS

In the region where I grew up, small shops were very common in the residential areas. In the second half of the 19th century, during industrialization, this type of business spread across large parts of Germany. Here you could buy drinks, tobacco products, newspapers and magazines, sweets, and other small things to eat, even after the supermarkets closed by end of the day. The drinking halls also played an important role for the neighborhood. They were places of integration and valued as a source of information. Few of these shops have survived to this day. The remaining pictures show small shops in different countries, not always comparable but nice to look at.