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Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Weimar, 28 Feb 1854 – Schloss Wiligrad, 10 Jul 1908

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 28 Feb 1854

    Born in Weimar

  2. 10 Jul 1908

    Dies in Schloss Wiligrad, aged 54

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Weimar.

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

The 1850s · Princess is born in Weimar

What people wore

Creative Sewing to Save Fabric

To save money on expensive fabrics, rural women often sewed a piece of linen into the hidden parts of their dresses that were covered by an apron, a practice known as Magsachte.

Getting around

Limitations of mail-coach travel

Before railways became dominant, mail-coaches reached speeds of 8 to 12.7 km/h, but their daily range was limited to around 100 kilometers due to frequent stops, meals, and border controls.

At the table

Potatoes and Bread as Staples

Working-class families relied heavily on potatoes and rye bread as their staple diet, often eating potatoes two or three times a day. Eggs and butter were considered expensive luxuries, with some workers rarely, if ever, having access to an egg.

The Crimean War. Britain, France and the Ottomans fought Russia in Crimea; Florence Nightingale’s nurses changed how the wounded were cared for.In Europe · 1853–1856

The Crimean War. Britain, France and the Ottomans fought Russia in Crimea; Florence Nightingale’s nurses changed how the wounded were cared for.

William Simpson, artist (1823-1899) E[dmond]. Morin, lithographer (1824 - 1882), · public domain

Music

Music and dance at public festivals

Popular festivities like shooting festivals and local fairs were central to social life, while the educated classes attended balls, concerts, and theater performances.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and kindergarten costs

Children were required to attend school from ages six to fourteen, often carrying books in long tin satchels. In model kindergartens, families could pay fees between sixpence and three shillings a month for care and meals.

What it cost

Survival budget for a rural family

In the early 1850s, a rural worker's family of five needed approximately 76 Thalers annually for basic survival. A typical male day laborer could earn about 8 Mariengroschen per day during peak harvest months.