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William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Biebrich Palace, 22 Apr 1852 – Berg Castle, 25 Feb 1912

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 22 Apr 1852

    Born in Biebrich Palace

  2. 1894–1902

    6 children are born

  3. 1905–1912

    Monarch of Luxembourg

  4. 25 Feb 1912

    Dies in Berg Castle, aged 59

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 6

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Biebrich Palace.

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

The 1850s · William is born in Biebrich Palace

In the news1859

First trains connect Luxembourg to neighbors

The first railway lines connected Luxembourg City to Thionville and Arlon, ending the country's economic isolation.

Getting around

Limitations of mail-coach travel

Before railways became dominant, mail-coaches reached speeds of 8 to 12.7 km/h, but their daily range was limited to around 100 kilometers due to frequent stops, meals, and border controls.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and kindergarten costs

Children were required to attend school from ages six to fourteen, often carrying books in long tin satchels. In model kindergartens, families could pay fees between sixpence and three shillings a month for care and meals.

What people wore

Children's Footwear in Rural Areas

While better-off families could afford varied clothes, children of the impoverished often went barefoot over stone and stubble during the summer months.

Music

Singing was a common group leisure activity

People often sang together after work or during leisure time, such as when farm workers returned home with their tools or during Sunday afternoon strolls.

At the table

Potatoes and Bread as Staples

Working-class families relied heavily on potatoes and rye bread as their staple diet, often eating potatoes two or three times a day. Eggs and butter were considered expensive luxuries, with some workers rarely, if ever, having access to an egg.