Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria

What people wore

Cloth functioned as valuable currency

In the 16th century, cloth was so valuable that it was often used as a form of currency to pay workers. Because clothing was expensive, it was rarely discarded and instead circulated through society via pawning, second-hand markets, and inheritance.

Daily life

Sleeping arrangements for children

People often slept together in one room, and children sometimes slept in roll-out beds tucked under the large, curtained beds of their parents.

Work

Rural Servants and Their Year-Long Contracts

Most rural households employed farm-hands and maids who worked for wages, board, and lodging; leaving before their one-year contract ended often meant forfeiting all wages.

Music

Rules for Dancing and Singing

In 1533, the Strasbourg city council permitted round dances but specifically prohibited the singing of shameful songs while dancing. Singing in a round was a common practice, as shown by the dance song Ich spring an disem ringe.

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary people

Ordinary families relied on staples like soup, porridge (made from oats, barley, or legumes), cabbage, turnips, and bread. Meat was a luxury for commoners, reserved primarily for festive occasions like the slaughtering of pigs or geese.

Getting around

Travel by horse or donkey

While wealthy individuals traveled on horseback, those wishing to show humility often chose to ride a donkey.

What it cost

Vienna day laborer wages, 1525–1549

In 1525, a daily laborer in Vienna earned 6.83 Kreuzer per day. By 1549, this wage had decreased to 6.00 Kreuzer per day.