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Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Schwerin Castle, 1886 – Bad Kissingen, 6 May 1954

11 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1886

    Born in Schwerin Castle

  2. 9 Nov 1907

    A son is born

  3. 6 May 1954

    Dies in Bad Kissingen

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

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

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

The 1880s · Duchess is born in Schwerin Castle

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

Steamship travel on the Weser River

By the late 19th century, steamships on the Weser river were a popular tourist attraction, with the upstream journey from Hamelin to Münden taking 15 hours and 30 minutes, and the downstream journey taking 8 hours and 29 minutes.

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

Growth of amateur music societies

Community music-making was popular among the rising middle class, leading to the widespread founding of singing societies and amateur orchestras.

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.