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Archduchess Maria Annunciata of Austria

Reichenau an der Rax, 31 Jul 1876 – Vaduz, 8 Apr 1961

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 31 Jul 1876

    Born in Reichenau an der Rax

  2. 1894–1919

    Abbess of the Institution of Noble Ladies of the Prague Castle

  3. 8 Apr 1961

    Dies in Vaduz, aged 84

Family

See the tree

Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Reichenau an der Rax.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1870s · Archduchess is born in Reichenau an der Rax

In the news1876

Metric system becomes mandatory in 1876

In 1876, the metric system became mandatory for all measurements across Austria.

Getting around

Faster rail connections to Budapest

By 1900, the travel time for a direct train between Vienna and Budapest had been reduced to four and a half hours, down from the approximately six hours required when the line first opened.

At the table

Staple foods of the population

Potatoes were a staple food that helped save the population from famine, and wheat bread had become the dominant bread type in Vienna by mid-century.

The Franco-Prussian War and a united Germany. Prussia defeated France, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.In Europe · 1870–1871

The Franco-Prussian War and a united Germany. Prussia defeated France, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Anton von Werner · public domain

What people wore

Swaddling practices and constant headwear use

Infants were placed in swaddling cushions for several months to ensure they grew straight, and male toddlers were dressed in dresses just like girls. Adults of both genders kept their headwear on all day, even while eating meals at the table.

Music

Popular instruments of the mid-19th century

During the 1850s, the zither became highly popular as a folk-music counterpart to the bourgeois piano. By 1860, the introduction of hand-held squeeze-box instruments like the accordion and harmonica allowed a single person to provide full orchestral accompaniment for entertainment.

Daily life

Improved Cooking with the Sparherd Stove

From the mid-19th century, the introduction of the masonry "Sparherd" stove with a chimney, water container, and oven allowed for expanded cooking possibilities. Before this, cooking was simpler, and many households lacked these modern improvements.