▁their ▁land . ▁ ▁The ▁legal , ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁situation ▁of ▁the ▁workers ▁improved ▁as ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁workers ▁with ▁critical ▁skills ▁were ▁needed . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁the ▁economy ▁fl our ished ▁and ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁was ▁dependent ▁on ▁wine ▁growing . ▁▁ ▁After ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁many ▁Lord ships , ▁land ▁ownership ▁fragment ed ▁and ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁many ▁small ▁parc els . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁this ▁industry ▁was ▁bo oming . ▁ ▁The ▁Th irty ▁Years ' ▁War ▁then ▁caused ▁re cess ion ▁and ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁Pr ices ▁of ▁be er , ▁tea ▁and ▁coffee ▁dropped , ▁causing ▁profit ▁marg ins ▁on ▁wine ▁to ▁shr ink . ▁ ▁After ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁the ▁left ▁bank ▁was ▁Pr uss ian ▁and ▁the ▁economic ▁situation ▁improved . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁German ▁custom s ▁union ▁led ▁to ▁strong ▁competition . ▁ ▁Many ▁far mers ▁found ▁themselves ▁a ▁day ▁job , ▁and ▁grew ▁wine ▁as ▁a ▁secondary ▁occupation . ▁ ▁New ▁sources ▁of ▁income ▁were ▁the ▁spark ling ▁wine ▁industry ▁and ▁wine ▁bars ▁serving ▁tour ists ▁attract ed ▁by ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁rom antic ism . ▁ ▁After ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁the ▁rail ways ▁brought ▁new ▁problems : ▁che aper ▁and ▁better ▁foreign ▁competition ▁and ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁v ine ▁insect s ▁of ▁America ▁and ▁France ▁( pow der y ▁mil de w ,