In the news1709
Great famine after the 1709 winter
A severe winter caused the Bodensee to freeze completely, leading to widespread crop failures and famine across Europe.
Wanfried, 2 Aug 1704 – Munich, 27 May 1749
8 facts2 sources
2 Aug 1704
Born in Wanfried
4 Oct 1723
A son is born
27 May 1749
Dies in Munich, aged 44
She lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Wanfried.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1709
A severe winter caused the Bodensee to freeze completely, leading to widespread crop failures and famine across Europe.
Getting around
River Travel by Ordinari Boats
Water transport was often more cost-effective; for example, the Ordinari boat from Regensburg to Vienna took at least a week to cover about 450 kilometers. Passengers often spent their nights on land during these boat journeys.
At the table
Simple meals of porridge, soup, and stew
Ordinary families commonly consumed grain-based porridges and soups for breakfast and dinner, while a hearty stew served as the main midday meal. Meat was expensive, so many households reserved it for special occasions like a Sunday roast.
In Europe · 1700–1721The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.
What people wore
Limited Wardrobes and Sunday Best
For ordinary people, clothing was strictly divided into everyday wear and Sunday best, as a person's wardrobe was very limited three hundred years ago.
Music
High fines for unauthorized trumpet playing
In the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, musicians who performed with unauthorized trumpets or kettledrums at public fairs or taverns faced a fine of fifty Reichsthaler.
Daily life
Limited Schooling for Children
Children often attended only winter schools because their labor was required for farming and tending livestock the rest of the year. Teachers were frequently untrained, such as former soldiers or craftsmen, and religious instruction was the main priority.