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Charles II, Archduke of Austria

Vienna, 3 Jun 1540 – Graz, 10 Jul 1590

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 3 Jun 1540

    Born in Vienna

  2. 1573–1588

    6 children are born

  3. 10 Jul 1590

    Dies in Graz, aged 50

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 6

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Vienna.

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

The 1540s · Charles is born in Vienna

In the news1545

Introduction of drawbar wagons

In 1545, new vehicles called drawbar wagons (Deichselwägen) began to be used in the area above the Enns.

Getting around

Fast travel via river boats

Travelers used rivers for faster journeys, covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours when moving downstream by boat.

In the news1540

Vienna's first plague ordinance established

To combat the plague, Vienna established its first official infection ordinance in 1540 to organize isolation and public health measures.

Daily life

Fetching water daily

Water was scarce and had to be fetched from distant public fountains or wells, as only few houses had their own water supply.

What people wore

Strict dress codes regulated social classes

Common citizens and artisans were legally prohibited from wearing luxury items like velvet, silk, pearls, or gold; their wives were limited to a gold ring worth no more than five or six guilders. Jewish people were forced to wear a yellow ring on their jackets or caps to ensure they were publicly recognizable.

Music

Rules for Dancing and Singing

In 1533, the Strasbourg city council permitted round dances but specifically prohibited the singing of shameful songs while dancing. Singing in a round was a common practice, as shown by the dance song Ich spring an disem ringe.

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary people

Ordinary families relied on staples like soup, porridge (made from oats, barley, or legumes), cabbage, turnips, and bread. Meat was a luxury for commoners, reserved primarily for festive occasions like the slaughtering of pigs or geese.