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Albert II of Belgium

Born Laeken, 6 Jun 1934

5 facts1 source

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 6 Jun 1934

    Born in Laeken

  2. 1960–1968

    4 children are born

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 4

During his lifetime

He has lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Laeken.

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

The 1930s · Albert II is born in Laeken

In the news1935

First electric railway line opened

On May 5, 1935, the national railway company opened Belgium's first electric line between Brussels-Nord and Antwerp-Central.

Daily life

Childhood Chores and Schooling Experiences

Children's daily routines involved chores like fetching water or tending to animals, while schooling was often disrupted, especially during the war years. Some schools eventually introduced amenities like communal showers, though access to such facilities remained a luxury for many.

Work

Standardizing the Working Day

The eight-hour workday and 48-hour workweek became standard in 1921, though many domestic workers often labored for longer hours without fixed schedules.

The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 set off a world depression: banks failed, work vanished and coffee prices collapsed in Brazil.Around the world · 1929–1939

The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 set off a world depression: banks failed, work vanished and coffee prices collapsed in Brazil.

Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · public domain

What people wore

Frugal clothing maintenance habits

People often wore clothing until it was heavily mended; it was not considered shameful to wear a pant with a patch or a sweater with mended elbows. For special occasions, some men would still wear the black jacket and striped trousers they had first worn at their wedding twenty years earlier.

Music

The rise of jazz culture

Jazz became a major craze in the 1920s and 1930s, with Belgian cities hosting their first jazz concerts and tournaments for amateur dance orchestras.

What it cost

Decline in food budget share

By the late 1940s, food expenses accounted for approximately 45 percent of a worker household's budget, a significant decrease from about 58 percent in 1929.