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Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel

Rumpenheim Castle, 20 Oct 1894 – Flanders, 13 Oct 1914

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 20 Oct 1894

    Born in Rumpenheim Castle

  2. 13 Oct 1914

    Dies in Flanders, aged 19

During his lifetime

He lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Rumpenheim Castle.

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

The 1890s · Prince is born in Rumpenheim Castle

In the news1895

Industrial workers equaled agricultural workers

By the mid-1890s, the number of industrial workers in the German Empire grew to match those in agriculture, marking a major demographic shift toward urbanization and factory labor.

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

Meat was a luxury for working families

In working-class households, meat—often cheap sausage or ground meat—was a luxury, frequently reserved for Sunday meals, and sometimes stretched with breadcrumbs to make meat-like dishes like fake rabbit. Men, seen as the primary providers, often received the largest portions of meat, while wives and children ate significantly less.

The “Russian flu”. A flu pandemic travelled the world by rail and steamship in a few months, killing about a million people.Around the world · 1889–1890

The “Russian flu”. A flu pandemic travelled the world by rail and steamship in a few months, killing about a million people.

Unknown · CC BY 4.0

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

Costs for attending local festival banquets

Citizens often paid an entry fee of 20 to 30 Pfennig to attend local festive banquets, which featured patriotic music, choral performances, and speeches.

Daily life

Access to running water varied by class

Working-class homes often lacked running water, requiring water to be heated in cooking pots, while wealthier, modern homes featured hot-water heaters and running water in the kitchen and bathroom.