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Albert I of Saxony

Dresden, 23 Apr 1828 – Szczodre, Wrocław County, 19 Jun 1902

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 23 Apr 1828

    Born in Dresden

  2. 19 Jun 1902

    Dies in Szczodre, Wrocław County, aged 74

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Dresden.

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

The 1820s · Albert I is born in Dresden

In the news1817–1830

Massive road network expansion by 1830

Between 1817 and 1830, over 1,000 kilometers of new paved roads were built, and regular postal services were established between major cities.

Getting around

Faster express coaches were costly

The introduction of the "Diligence" or express post coach in 1821 allowed for faster travel at speeds of around 10 km/h, making trips of 100 km possible in a single day. However, travel remained expensive, with a short trip from Berlin to Magdeburg costing four talers, nearly a schoolteacher's monthly salary.

Around the world1825–1830

The first passenger railway

In England a steam locomotive pulled the first public train in 1825; within decades railways crossed every continent.

Daily life

Homes heated by smoky, open hearths

Peasant homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open hearths that provided both light and heat while filling the living space with smoke. Small bundles of green pine brush, known as Kulelkes, were commonly used as fuel for these fires.

What people wore

Resourceful Dressmaking and Festive Attire

Women sometimes used a fabric insert called a Magsachte, meaning that may do it slowly, to cover the hidden parts of their dresses and save on expensive material. For special occasions, they wore black cashmere or silk dresses with white ruffles at the neck that were waved using a hot iron.

Music

Singing at church and parish gatherings

For many people in the Prussian lands, Sunday church service was a weekly routine, and singing could also happen at church occasions. Beyond worship, people spent leisure time with games like bowling and cards, and with dancing at local fairs and shooting festivals.

At the table

The rise of potato schnapps

Potato-based schnapps became a widespread and essential daily pleasure for the poor, as it was much cheaper to produce than grain-based spirits. Some observers noted that after market days, many farmers returned home in a state of intoxication.