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Margrethe of Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg

Sønderborg, 24 Feb 1583 – Unteres Schloss, 20 Apr 1658

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 24 Feb 1583

    Born in Sønderborg

  2. 2 Sep 1615

    A daughter is born

  3. 20 Apr 1658

    Dies in Unteres Schloss, aged 75

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Sønderborg.

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

The 1580s · Margrethe is born in Sønderborg

In the news1583–1585

Deadly epidemic hits Copenhagen

A severe typhus-like epidemic hit Copenhagen in 1583, leading to an average of 46 deaths per day in August.

Getting around

Frequent carriage changes in winter

Travelers often had to change carriages every two to four miles in winter because coachmen were unwilling to travel far and horses tired quickly in the snow.

In the news1580–1581

Spanish Pip epidemic kills many

An infectious disease known locally as the Spanish Pip caused high mortality across the Nordic region, including killing a third of the population on Nordstrand.

Daily life

School children paid for funeral singing

Students from Latin schools, such as those in Copenhagen, would attend funerals to sing; for two lessons, the school was paid 1 old Daler, while the use of a high-quality English cloth over the deceased could increase the payment to 2.5 Dalers.

What people wore

Shoemaker workshop attire in 1583

In a 1583 stained-glass window from Odense, a master shoemaker is depicted in a tight doublet and hose with yellow trimmings and a matching yellow ruff. His workers, meanwhile, were shown wearing modest white linen shirts, black aprons, and pleated neck ruffs.

Music

Popular Music and Instruments at Gatherings

Musicians, often called pipers, frequently played pipe and drum simultaneously at weddings and social gatherings, using instruments like the shawm, which was a popular domestic instrument.

At the table

Breakfast consisted of beer and bread

A common breakfast was oellebroed, a warm dish made by dipping bread into beer. Children at schools, such as those in Soroe, were served this meal around 7:00 in the morning.