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Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Sigmaringen, 1845 – Brussels, 1912

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1845

    Born in Sigmaringen

  2. 1872–1875

    2 children are born

  3. 1912

    Dies in Brussels

During her lifetime

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

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

The 1840s · Princess is born in Sigmaringen

In the news1846–1847

Hunger crisis of 1846-1847

A severe potato blight caused a major hunger crisis across Europe, leading to unrest in Prussian markets and bakeries.

What people wore

Head-carried baskets with embroidered rings

Deliverers carried their goods in round white baskets called Mange on their heads, supported by embroidered cloth rings that served as both cushions and decorative accessories.

Getting around

Difficult and slow travel by stagecoach

Traveling by stagecoach in Prussia was often grueling and uncomfortable due to poorly maintained, unpaved roads and cramped, unsprung carriages. A journey from Berlin to Königsberg, spanning 565 kilometers, typically took ten to eleven days by post coach.

The Revolutions of 1848. Uprisings spread from Paris to Vienna, Berlin and Milan; most were put down, but serfdom ended in Austria.In Europe · 1848

The Revolutions of 1848. Uprisings spread from Paris to Vienna, Berlin and Milan; most were put down, but serfdom ended in Austria.

Horace Vernet · public domain

In the news1842

Freedom of movement laws in 1842

Prussia introduced new laws enabling greater freedom of movement and settlement for individuals not dependent on public relief.

Music

The noisy brummtopf folk instrument

The brummtopf was a peculiar noise-making instrument used by groups of young people during winter festivities; it was made of a small wooden barrel covered with calfskin and played by rubbing horsehair strands inserted into the skin with wet hands.

Daily life

Homes heated by smoky, open hearths

Peasant homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open hearths that provided both light and heat while filling the living space with smoke. Small bundles of green pine brush, known as Kulelkes, were commonly used as fuel for these fires.