Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Mary Magdalene of Nassau-Siegen

Oberes Schloss, 21 Oct 1623 – Spa, 30 Aug 1647

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 21 Oct 1623

    Born in Oberes Schloss

  2. 18 Aug 1640

    A daughter is born

  3. 30 Aug 1647

    Dies in Spa, aged 23

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Oberes Schloss.

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

The 1620s · Mary is born in Oberes Schloss

In the news1618–1623

The Kipper and Wipper Economic Crisis

Between 1618 and 1623, Germany suffered the Kipper and Wipper economic crisis, where rulers debased coins by reducing silver content, causing rapid inflation. This made it impossible for people with fixed incomes, such as teachers and pensioners, to afford basic living expenses.

Getting around

Travel Speeds Were Generally Very Slow

Typical travelers, often delayed by weather, poor roads, or cargo, were generally happy to cover 100 kilometers in a week.

In the news1628

Antwerp plague thanksgiving in 1628

The city of Antwerp ordered a public thanksgiving in 1628 to celebrate its deliverance from a plague.

Daily life

Seasonal and variable schooling

Children's schooling was not mandatory and often seasonal; for example, in Isny, lessons could include math, music, and Latin, with some students having four different teachers throughout the day. In many areas, summer schooling was rare as children were required to work on farms.

What people wore

Men's fashion favored comfort and leather boots

During the Thirty Years' War, men's fashion shifted toward comfort, featuring high-waisted doublets and wide, knee-length breeches that fell in loose folds. Soldiers and educated men alike popularized large leather boots that reached above the knee, which were often worn turned down or slouching.

Music

Regulated Wedding Celebrations

Weddings were the most significant lifetime celebrations, with music, guest lists, and food heavily regulated according to the social status of the families involved.

At the table

Eating Porridge with Hands

Grain porridge was the most important hot meal, often made of oats or millet and reheated until thick. Families typically ate it by taking pieces directly from a central bowl with their hands.