Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Gustavus Carlson

Stockholm, 13 Mar 1649 – Frisia, 1 Jan 1708

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 13 Mar 1649

    Born in Stockholm

  2. 1 Jan 1708

    Dies in Frisia, aged 58

Family

See the tree

Parents

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1640s · Gustavus is born in Stockholm

In the news1649

Copper production surge at Stora Kopparberg

Production at the Stora Kopparberg mine surged significantly by 1649, reaching 14,323 skd compared to 2,400 skd in 1600.

Getting around

Winter roads over ice were essential for transport

Winter travel was often faster and easier because travelers could use sleds on frozen lakes and marshes, avoiding the potholes and mud of summer roads.

In the news1618–1648

Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

Daily life

Limited schooling and early work life

Most children did not attend formal schools; instead, they received basic religious instruction at home from their parents or the church to learn to read the Bible and the catechism. When schools did exist, they were insufficient for the general population, and for many, childhood was primarily defined by work and helping parents in their trade or daily tasks.

What people wore

Strict fashion laws for commoners

During the 1600s, Swedish commoners were strictly forbidden from using silk fabrics or other exclusive materials in public, with violators facing fines or imprisonment on bread and water.

Music

Popular instruments of the people

Popular instruments among ordinary people included the stem pipe, horn, nyckelharpa (key harp), and drums. String instruments like the violin and lute were also frequently played in domestic settings.

At the table

Everyday meals of pea soup and beer

Everyday meals often featured pea soup, bread, porridge, and boiled turnips, typically accompanied by pork or fish and plenty of weak beer. Beer was consumed in large quantities, often three to four liters per day, as it was safer to drink than the available water.