The mesh got me to thinking this might be a pie safe and your mention of your ancestors having come from Germany added at bit more
fuel to the fire.
So far have come across this........
http://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Antique_Pie_Safe"The pie cabinet was most likely introduced to the United States by the German people that immigrated to Pennsylvania and became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Despite the name they were used for more than pies. Everything from bread to cake was kept in a pie cupboard.
The pie safe was an important piece of furniture. It was generally a tall and narrow cabinet made of pine, although other woods might be used. It was free standing and could be moved easily if necessary. The pie safe was generally kept as far from the wood stove as possible, to keep the food safe from too much heat. On the farm it might even have been kept on the back porch, next to the dry sink to catch as much cool air as possible.
Generally pie safes were made from local wood. Often pine and other soft woods were used for shelves, drawers, and interior pieces while a nicer, more expensive wood was used for the exterior areas. Pine was especially popular in the southern states.
Inside the cabinet were shelves to hold pies and other foods. There would be screening or punched tin designs in the top, sides, doors, or a combination of these. The screen allowed the baked goods to have ventilation while keeping rodents, flies, and hungry children at bay. The ventilation helped the food to stay cooler and to keep it from molding easily.
Some kitchen safes had tops that opened upward while others had a combination of doors and drawers. There were even pie safes that were a combination safe and jelly cupboard. The pieces would be made to either the whim of the cabinet maker or the specifications of the lady of the house."
