Maximilian of Waldeck and Pyrmont

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.

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.

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.

What it cost

Prices of furniture and staples

Furniture was affordable compared to food; a simple chair cost about 3.75 marks and a matching table was 8.75 marks. In contrast, butter was expensive, costing about 1 mark per pound or up to 1.86 marks per kilogram.