Skip to content
VitrineVitrine

Vollrad Mansfeld

11 Mar 1520 – Strasbourg, 30 Dec 1578

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 11 Mar 1520

    Born

  2. 30 Dec 1578

    Dies in Strasbourg, aged 58

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

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

The 1520s · Vollrad is born

In the news1524–1525

The Great Peasants' War occurs

Tens of thousands of peasants participated in a massive uprising across the German lands, demanding the abolition of feudal burdens and serfdom.

Getting around

Common modes of land travel

Most people traveled on foot, as railways and steamships did not exist, while the wealthy preferred horses or mules for their stability in mountainous terrain. Carriages were primarily reserved for women, the sick, or prisoners due to their lack of suspension and uncomfortable ride.

In the news1525

Peasant rebellion suppressed in 1525

In May 1525, Duke Antoine of Lorraine massacred a large peasant army at Saverne to suppress an insurrection that threatened the duchy.

Daily life

Emergence of village schools in Hesse

Before the Reformation, village schools were reportedly non-existent in Hesse, but by 1556, visitors noted the establishment of seven village schools in the central region of the principality. Martin Luther emphasized that schools were necessary for both boys and girls to learn to conduct the affairs of life.

What people wore

Everyday and Sunday Best Clothing

Most people owned at least two sets of clothing, keeping one for everyday work and another cleaner set for church and social events. Clothing was frequently patched and mended, with garments and good linen undergarments often bequeathed to heirs.

Music

Popular Wedding and Civic Musicians

In German cities around 1500, a common ensemble for weddings was the pipe and drum, with performers sometimes earning half a guilder for their services. These musicians were frequently hired alongside or to alternate with town pipers (Stadtpfeifer) who played brass instruments like shawms and trombones.

At the table

Laborer purchasing power in 1500s Augsburg

In Augsburg, a day laborer's daily wage could purchase six pounds of meat or seven eggs, a peck of peas, and a quart of wine, alongside bread.