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Maria Theresia Ahlefeldt

Regensburg, 16 Jan 1755 – Prague, 20 Dec 1810

9 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 16 Jan 1755

    Born in Regensburg

  2. 20 Dec 1810

    Dies in Prague, aged 55

Family

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Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Regensburg.

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

The 1750s · Maria is born in Regensburg

In the news1756–1763

Seven Years' War casualties and destruction

During the Seven Years' War, some 160,000 Prussian soldiers died in battle or from disease, devastating the population.

What people wore

Women's Caps Served Many Purposes

Most women, regardless of their status, wore a cap as both a fashionable and practical accessory to protect their hair while working near heat or dust.

Daily life

Seasonal Schooling Led by Untrained Teachers

Schooling was primarily limited to winter months, as children were needed for farm work and tending livestock during the rest of the year. Many village schoolmasters lacked formal training, often being retired soldiers, weavers, or tinkers.

In the news1754

First imperial population census conducted

In 1754, the first synchronized population census was conducted across the entire Habsburg Empire, requiring clergy and nobility to register inhabitants, buildings, and economic characteristics.

Music

Regulated music at weddings and funerals

Weddings were major social events where music was highly regulated by status, dictating the number of performers and the duration of the celebrations. Musicians often played at these weddings and funerals, with societies in places like Leuben attending up to 18 weddings annually.

In Europe1755

Lisbon is destroyed by an earthquake

On All Saints’ Day an earthquake, a tsunami and fires levelled Lisbon and killed tens of thousands; Europe’s thinkers argued over it for decades.

Getting around

Dangers and Hardships of 18th-Century Travel

Travel was often physically demanding and dangerous, with carriages that were frequently uncomfortably sprung or unsprung, causing travelers to suffer from motion sickness or injury. Due to the poor state of roads and the threat of highwaymen, travelers often carried weapons or avoided unnecessary trips, with some prominent figures never leaving their home region.