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Countess Emilia Antwerpiana of Nassau

Antwerp, 9 Dec 1581 – Landsberg Castle, 28 Sep 1651

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 9 Dec 1581

    Born in Antwerp

  2. 1617–1622

    3 children are born

  3. 28 Sep 1651

    Dies in Landsberg Castle, aged 69

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 3

During her lifetime

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

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

The 1580s · Countess is born in Antwerp

In the news1586

Extreme famine leads to scavenging

The harvest of 1586 was so poor that hungry people in Ghent were forced to scavenge through rubbish and eat fish entrails to survive.

Getting around

Organized local transport market in Brabant

Local transport of commodities in Brabant was highly organized despite lacking corporations, relying on both professional carters and occasional transporters hired through tenders or temporary contracts. There was no price advantage for farmers offering transport services, as all contractors were paid at competitive market rates.

In the news1585

River blockade halts Antwerp trade

After the 1585 fall of Antwerp, the Dutch closed the Scheldt river to trade, causing rents to collapse and halting the city's economic development for two centuries.

Daily life

Family records in daily life

Well-off families meticulously recorded daily events like births, marriages, and where children were sent to learn Latin or French in personal notebooks.

What people wore

Practical straw hats for workers

Straw hats of various shapes, such as wide-brimmed or bowl-shaped, were a practical headwear choice for market women and those working outdoors.

Music

Peasant music with bagpipes and fiddles

At peasant feasts, ordinary people enjoyed loud, lively music featuring instruments like bagpipes, fiddles, and hurdy-gurdies.

At the table

Alcohol Given to Infants

It was a common, physician-approved custom to give infants wooden nipples filled with wine or beer, starting their taste for alcohol early.