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Princess Victoria Feodora Reuss

Potsdam, 21 Apr 1889 – Rostock, 18 Dec 1918

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 21 Apr 1889

    Born in Potsdam

  2. 18 Dec 1918

    Dies in Rostock, aged 29

Family

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Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Potsdam.

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

The 1880s · Princess is born in Potsdam

In the news1883

First national health insurance introduced

Germany became the first country to introduce a national social insurance system with the approval of a worker's health insurance plan.

Getting around

City carriage travel rates

Local carriage travel in cities like Barmen and Elberfeld was common, with a non-stop ride costing 50 Pfennig for up to two people, or 1 Mark for a half-hour ride.

At the table

Simple breakfasts and rare egg treats

Breakfast typically consisted of brown rye bread and a watery brew of coffee and barley, as milk and sugar were considered expensive luxuries. Eggs were an extremely rare delight, and one worker noted that it was amazingly rare for him to even get one.

Electric light. Edison’s light bulb and his first power stations, in New York and London, began to light cities with electricity.Around the world · 1879–1882

Electric light. Edison’s light bulb and his first power stations, in New York and London, began to light cities with electricity.

KMJ, alpha masking by Edokter · CC BY-SA 3.0

What people wore

Distinctive vests signaled marital status in Betzingen

In Betzingen, married men wore black velvet vests, while unmarried men wore red cloth vests with twelve silver buttons. Bachelors also traditionally displayed a red handkerchief from their pocket when searching for a bride.

Music

Costs for attending local festival banquets

Citizens often paid an entry fee of 20 to 30 Pfennig to attend local festive banquets, which featured patriotic music, choral performances, and speeches.

Daily life

Lighting evolved from kerosene to electric bulbs

Most households relied on kerosene lamps, which were often lined up on a hallway table; one family remembered the smell and the dim light, which contrasted with the later, unpleasantly bright electric bulbs.