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Sophie of Württemberg

Stuttgart, 17 Jun 1818 – Huis ten Bosch, 3 Jun 1877

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born17 Jun 1818, Stuttgartnot verified1 source
  • TitleConsort of the Netherlands, 1849–1877not verified1 source
  • Died3 Jun 1877, Huis ten Boschnot verified1 source
  • MotherCatherine Pavlovna of Russianot verified1 source
  • FatherWilhelm I of Württembergnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 17 Jun 1818

    Born in Stuttgart

  2. 1840–1851

    3 children are born

  3. 1849–1877

    Consort of the Netherlands

  4. 3 Jun 1877

    Dies in Huis ten Bosch, aged 58

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Stuttgart.

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

The 1810s · Sophie is born in Stuttgart

In the news1812

Jews granted citizenship in 1812

Prussia passed an edict that granted Jews citizenship, ending their status as protected subjects with special taxes.

What people wore

Industrious Spinning in Rural Winter Life

Young women in rural Prussia were often famous for their industriousness, frequently spinning two or even three pieces of yarn daily after completing their domestic chores and farm work. This spinning took place in communal spinning rooms, which served as the center of winter life.

Getting around

High cost of travel

A short stagecoach trip from Berlin to Magdeburg cost four Taler, which was nearly the entire monthly wage of a village schoolteacher.

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.In Europe · 1803–1815

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.

Ruedi33a · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the news1816

Year without a summer causes famine

The 1815 Tambora volcano eruption caused global climate shifts, leading to 1816 being the year without a summer, resulting in widespread crop failures and hunger in the Netherlands.

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.

Daily life

Daily lighting and water access challenges

Lighting was scarce and provided by tallow candles, oil lamps, or pine splinters that were often held in the hearth. Water for daily needs was typically retrieved from village pumps or springs, and chores like fetching water could be time-consuming, requiring one to wait for buckets to fill under a slow stream.