Anna Margaretha, Freiin von Putbus

What people wore

Expensive żupan costs for wealthy burghers

Wealthy townspeople owned multiple żupans, often valued between 20 and 50 złotys, with the most expensive pieces reaching up to 300 złotys.

Daily life

Shared kitchens and street food

Cooking and heating often used the same domestic heat source, and in wealthier homes, kitchens were frequently located in separate buildings or far from living rooms to reduce heat and smoke. In cities, some households shared large kitchens, and people could buy prepared foods like fried liver or żur from street vendors.

Work

Peasant work days far exceeded urban crafts

Peasant workers in rural Malopolska were required to work approximately 300 days per year, which was 110 days more than those employed in urban crafts.

Music

Bagpipes at festivals and inns

During festivals and weddings, the bagpipe was a popular instrument played at inns, while gentry and noblemen also enjoyed dancing to it in a spirit of native tradition.

At the table

Staple foods in peasant diets

A peasant diet during this period was primarily based on rye bread, with adults consuming 0.6 to 0.9 kilograms daily, alongside porridge, peas, and cabbage.

Getting around

Common means of travel between towns

People traveled mainly by horseback, in horse-drawn carriages such as the covered kocz or kolasa, or on foot. River transport was also used as a popular alternative due to the poor condition of land roads.

What it cost

Quarterly wages for urban workers

Around 1600 in Lublin, a night watchman earned 550 grosz quarterly, while a teacher earned 220 grosz and an organist 180 grosz in the same period.