Carlota Sofia de Bothmer

What people wore

The stiffened bodice and protective chest piece

Women often wore a stiffened bodice known as a rijglijf, which was closed at the front with lacing and sometimes required a separate reinforced chest piece to prevent the laces from digging into the skin. Sewing a simple chest piece could cost a few guilders in 17th-century currency.

Daily life

Access to education and literacy

Children in the Dutch Republic typically had better access to basic education than many others in Europe, contributing to literacy rates that were likely higher than the prevailing European standard at the time.

Work

Family-based work in the home and shop

Many people worked in small family businesses where the father, mother, and children all contributed to the trade. Craftsmen, such as shoemakers, often worked in the front of their homes with the windows open to allow daylight for their detailed work.

Music

Musical instruments for home and festivities

Common people played instruments like the fiddle, bagpipes, and the rommelpot, a rhythmic instrument used by children during the Epiphany processions to ask for sweets or pennies. In homes, the lute was a favored instrument for accompanying song, while taverns featured violins, basses, and sometimes even the harpsichord.

At the table

Beer was the daily, safer drink choice

Because local water was often polluted and unsafe, most people, including children, drank thin beer with very low alcohol content throughout the day. Wine was much more expensive and typically associated with higher social classes.

Getting around

Predictable journey times and routes

Travel times were remarkably predictable; for instance, the journey from Delft to Rotterdam took one hour and 45 minutes, while the 57-kilometer trip between Leiden and Utrecht took eight hours. Passengers could disembark at various stops along the route to refresh themselves at inns.

What it cost

Weekly wages for workers and craftsmen

An outdoor laborer in the 17th century typically earned 6.50 guilders per week, while a master carpenter earned 9 guilders per week.