Archduchess Assunta of Austria

Music

Traditional wedding dance and procession music

The Zillertaler Tramplan was a traditional wedding dance performed as the wedding party walked from the church to the inn. It was a regional dance piece that later became a musical signature of tourism in the Ziller Valley.

Daily life

Housing for the poor in Vienna

In 1909, around 66,000 people in Vienna were bed-renters who did not have their own home and paid to use a bed for only a few hours. Many tenement buildings lacked running water, toilets, and electricity, requiring residents to collect water from a corridor tap called a Bassena.

What it cost

Weekly earnings for workers

An unskilled worker in the early 1900s earned about $10 a week, while many textile workers averaged around $8.76 for a full week's work in 1911.

What people wore

Strict social dress codes in Vienna

Prosperous women in Vienna followed strict rules for social success, requiring different outfits for specific daily activities like morning errands, afternoon tea, or exhibition openings.

Getting around

Rural travel by wagon in 1900

In 1900, many rural residents lived in small towns without a train station, often requiring a two-hour wagon ride to reach the nearest railway.

At the table

Ideal middle-class meals and coffee house culture

Before the war, the ideal middle-class meal consisted of a three-course menu featuring soup, a main dish of meat with side dishes, and dessert. Intellectuals frequented coffee houses around 1900 to enjoy coffee drinks like the Melange.