Joachim Frederick of Brieg

At the table

Beer as a daily staple

Beer was the most common everyday drink, often served as soup with breadcrumbs or given to children and pregnant women for strength.

What people wore

Wages paid in clothing in 1552

In 1552, a servant at the Vilnius Mint received an annual compensation package that included 1.5 kopa of coins, a sheepskin coat valued at 20 groschen, a garment of Lithuanian cloth worth 25 groschen, boots for 10 groschen, and two shirts for 8 groschen.

Getting around

Security for goods in transit

A merchant in 1586 paid four guilders to hire two Tartars to transport his goods, reflecting common practice to ensure security during travel.

What it cost

Food affordability for workers

A worker could purchase a chicken for 1 grossus, a goose for 1.5 to 2 grossi, or a cluster of 60 eggs for 3 grossi with their daily wage.

Music

Social rules in the stryjanka dance

In the dance known as stryjanka, the violinist led the household members in the first part, while respectable people refrained from dancing the second, more lively part to observe others instead.

Daily life

Cooking and lighting challenges

Cooking happened in multipurpose living spaces or entryways using cauldrons suspended on complex, expensive iron hooks that allowed height adjustment over the fire. Because light was poor and candles were prohibitively expensive, many food preparation tasks were performed outdoors.