Count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz

Daily life

Memorable Survival Tactics and Tools

To save money and ensure winter food supplies, families bought potatoes in bulk, sometimes 1000 kg at once, which were stored in specially prepared cellar bins lined with straw. To carry heavy water buckets from public pumps, people used a 'reep', a modified bicycle wheel without spokes that helped balance the weight and kept the buckets away from their legs.

Work

Standardizing the Working Day

The eight-hour workday and 48-hour workweek became standard in 1921, though many domestic workers often labored for longer hours without fixed schedules.

What people wore

Boys' and youth clothing trends

Starting around 1936, golf breeches that bloused around the calf became popular for Sunday best, while boys typically received their first pair of long trousers around age 17 or 18 as a sign of becoming a man. Children’s weekday clothing was less of a concern, with schoolchildren often wearing iron-shod boots and short trousers.

Music

The rise of jazz culture

Jazz became a major craze in the 1920s and 1930s, with Belgian cities hosting their first jazz concerts and tournaments for amateur dance orchestras.

What it cost

Decline in food budget share

By the late 1940s, food expenses accounted for approximately 45 percent of a worker household's budget, a significant decrease from about 58 percent in 1929.