Maria Carolina of Austria

What people wore

Cleanliness as a mark of respectability

By the mid-eighteenth century, even people in lower wealth tiers in Vienna typically owned enough shirts and shifts to change them at least twice a week. Clean white linen was considered the standard for judging personal morality and respectability.

Getting around

Travel times by carriage in the 1700s

In the 18th century, a 30-kilometer trip between St. Pölten and Melk took 5 to 7 hours, while a 115-kilometer journey to St. Florian took 20 to 28 hours.

At the table

Affordable coffee substitute for the poor

Poorer residents drank a substitute for coffee made from roasted barley sweetened with syrup, which cost only 1 Kreuzer for a cup and a roll.

Music

The Rise of Domestic Music-Making

As the Court moved away from grand operas, domestic music-making became a popular private pastime, with families and royals often playing instruments like the clavier, viola, and violoncello.

Daily life

Shared urban living in cramped quarters

For ordinary residents, homes were often cramped rented rooms in multi-story buildings where daily tasks like cooking, sleeping, and working were all performed in the same limited space. Families relied on neighborhood wells and fountains for water and had to manage heating through tiled stoves that required constant attention.

What it cost

Wedding music cost 33 gulden in 1755

In 1755, a wealthy merchant family paid 33 gulden for music for a wedding, which is equivalent to a significant luxury expense compared to everyday food costs.