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Wilhelmine of Prussia, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

Berlin, 3 Jul 1709 – Bayreuth, 14 Oct 1758

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 3 Jul 1709

    Born in Berlin

  2. 14 Oct 1758

    Dies in Bayreuth, aged 49

Family

See the tree

Parents

During her lifetime

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

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

The 1700s · Wilhelmine is born in Berlin

In the news1709

Great famine after the 1709 winter

A severe winter caused the Bodensee to freeze completely, leading to widespread crop failures and famine across Europe.

Getting around

Travel by Foot and Early Mail Coaches

Ordinary people typically traveled by walking, as non-private transportation was limited and expensive. Regular mail coach lines for passengers, such as the Nuremberg-Leipzig route, began emerging in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

At the table

Simple meals of porridge, soup, and stew

Ordinary families commonly consumed grain-based porridges and soups for breakfast and dinner, while a hearty stew served as the main midday meal. Meat was expensive, so many households reserved it for special occasions like a Sunday roast.

The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.In Europe · 1700–1721

The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.

Imonoz · CC BY-SA 4.0

What people wore

Sumptuary Laws Against Opulent Clothing

Authorities issued sumptuary laws to maintain social hierarchy, often banning lower classes from wearing gold, silver, pearls, silk, or costly furs, with violators risking fines or imprisonment.

Music

Fiddlers earned Nickelgrosken at village celebrations

Fiddlers were central to village life and were paid for their services at weddings and parties with small coins known as Nickelgrosken.

Daily life

Simple and Frugal Home Interiors

Homes often had low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and floors made of stone or brick that were covered in sand. Rooms were sparsely furnished, and houses frequently lacked clocks, making time-keeping and domestic life simple and frugal.