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Gustav von Rauch

Brunswick, 1 Apr 1774 – Berlin, 2 Apr 1841

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1 Apr 1774, Brunswicknot verified1 source
  • MarriedRosalie Holtzendorffnot verified1 source
  • Titleminister of war, 1837–1841not verified1 source
  • Died2 Apr 1841, Berlinnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1 Apr 1774

    Born in Brunswick

  2. 29 Aug 1820

    A daughter is born

  3. 1837–1841

    Minister of war

  4. 2 Apr 1841

    Dies in Berlin, aged 67

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1770s · Gustav is born in Brunswick

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

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.

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

Noble Men Preferred Wigs Over Beards

In the 18th century, noble men famously wore wigs and makeup, while facial hair was strictly shunned for most men, marking a major departure from later masculine standards.

Music

Popular dances and wedding processions

Dances included a German ring dance performed in rows, as well as minuets, Anglaises, and Écossaises. For weddings, a procession of guests and musicians traveled on foot or by carriage, sometimes accompanied by a formal cavalcade of riders.

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.