A sink in the corridor. It is called Bassena and it is a generally accessible water point in the corridor of an old tenement house. The term Bassena is a mixture of the French word bassin for water basin and the Italian word bacino with the same meaning. Usually there was a Bassena on every floor in the stairwell, where the surrounding parties fetched the cold water. The Bassena was not only the water point of the house, but also a general meeting point, as the house residents had to visit them frequently. At the Bassena, gossip, called Bassenatratsch, flourished. The gossip could easily lead to arguments and libel lawsuits. The so-called Bassena trials were extremely popular. (previous | next | back to album | 2021:08:10 21:36:54 | 15% of an album)