Archduchess Marie Caroline Ferdinanda of Austria

What people wore

Infants restricted in swaddling pillows

In some rural regions, infants were placed in a swaddling pillow for several months to help them grow straight, which prevented them from moving or kicking.

Getting around

Walking and river travel habits

In the early 19th century, people frequently traveled on foot, with messengers and workers walking between 25 and 40 kilometers daily. On the Danube, cargo boats called ordinari took at least a week to travel the 450 kilometers from Regensburg to Vienna.

At the table

Meat Consumption Among Workers

Ordinary workers typically ate meat only twice a week, usually on Saturdays and Sundays.

Music

Popular folk instruments of the era

Common village instruments included the fiddle and the hammered dulcimer, while the shepherd's pipe and jew's harp were popular for casual entertainment.

Daily life

Lack of light and running water

In rural homes, light was provided only by tallow lamps or pine splinters because there were no candles or petroleum lamps. Households lacked running water, requiring residents to wash themselves at a cold well located outside the house.

What it cost

Extreme food price volatility

Food prices in the Austrian Empire were highly volatile during this period, particularly around 1811 when a bushel of wheat cost 60 florins, compared to just 4 florins in 1812 and 1824. Such sharp fluctuations made it difficult for ordinary people to maintain a stable supply of basic grains like wheat and corn.