Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Frederick William III of Prussia

Potsdam, 3 Aug 1770 – Berlin, 7 Jun 1840

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born3 Aug 1770, Potsdamnot verified1 source
  • MarriedAuguste von Harrachnot verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Electoror King of Prussia, 1797–1840 · margravenot verified1 source
  • Titlemargraveor King of Prussia, 1797–1840 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Prussia, 1797–1840or Prince-Elector · margravenot verified1 source
  • Died7 Jun 1840, Berlinnot verified1 source
  • MotherFrederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadtnot verified1 source
  • FatherFriedrich Wilhelm II of Prussianot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 3 Aug 1770

    Born in Potsdam

  2. 1795–1809

    9 children are born

  3. 1797–1840

    King of Prussia

  4. 7 Jun 1840

    Dies in Berlin, aged 69

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 9

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Potsdam.

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

The 1770s · Frederick is born in Potsdam

In the news1770–1771

Migration during the 1770-71 famine

During the great famines of 1770–71, peasants from other parts of Germany migrated to Prussia where food supplies were more accessible.

Getting around

Stagecoach Travel at Walking Speed

In the mid-18th century, the stagecoach was the primary mode of travel for those who could afford it, moving at a walking pace of about 4 to 5 kilometers per hour. A trip from Nuremberg to Leipzig typically took around 70 hours, while the journey from Nuremberg to Regensburg required 20 hours.

In Europe1772–1795

Poland is partitioned

Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland among themselves in three steps until, in 1795, it vanished from the map for 123 years.

Daily life

Open Hearth Cooking and Pump Well Water

Cooking took place in the living room over an open fireplace or a masonry hearth with a recessed grate, using wood or brown coal for fuel. Drinking water was typically sourced from communal pump wells located in the village center.

What people wore

Men’s Sunday Black Coat

Working men typically wore a simple black coat called a Rock for their Sunday attire, which was usually fastened with hooks rather than buttons.

Music

Popular instruments and dances for festivals

In the late 18th century, common people enjoyed dancing to instruments such as the violin, clarinet, horn, bass, hammered dulcimer, and bagpipe, often played by small groups at fairs, weddings, and festivals.

At the table

Beer and bread soups were common daily fare

For servants and laborers, meals often featured a weak top-fermented beer, similar to Berliner Weiße, and bread soaked in liquid, such as milk or whey.