Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain

What people wore

Jewish population faced discriminatory dress regulations

Discriminatory laws compelled Jewish men to wear specific identifying markers on their clothes, such as beards or stigmatizing symbols.

Daily life

Long school days and set schedule

In 1586, school days lasted seven hours, starting at 6:00 a.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m. in winter, with subjects including religion, reading, writing, and singing.

Work

Wages and employment for rural servants

Rural workers included farm-hands and maids who worked for wages, food, and lodging. If these servants left their employment before the end of their customary one-year term without a valid reason, they forfeited all their wages.

Music

Instruments used in 16th-century Austrian music

In the late 16th century, musicians in Austrian regions played instruments such as recorders, trombones, cornetti, lutes, harps, and viols, as seen in period iconography and monastery artifacts.

At the table

Common Staples: Porridge and Bread

The daily diet of ordinary families centered on cereal-based porridges made of oats, millet, or barley, often prepared with water, milk, or lard. Bread, typically made from rye or oats, was another primary staple, sometimes baked into durable flatbreads that could be softened with water.

Getting around

Most people traveled primarily on foot

For the majority of people, traveling was primarily done on foot, with most individuals covering 20 to 35 kilometers per day depending on the terrain.

What it cost

Daily worker wages in Vienna

Between 1575 and 1599, a daily wage for a worker in Vienna typically ranged from 7 to 10 kreuzer.