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Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Weimar, 30 Sep 1811 – Berlin, 7 Jan 1890

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 30 Sep 1811

    Born in Weimar

  2. 1831–1838

    2 children are born

  3. 7 Jan 1890

    Dies in Berlin, aged 78

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Weimar.

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

The 1810s · Augusta is born in Weimar

In the news1812

Jews granted citizenship in 1812

Prussia passed an edict that granted Jews citizenship, ending their status as protected subjects with special taxes.

Getting around

Berlin travel times in 1819

In 1819, a traveler starting from Berlin could reach Potsdam in four hours by stagecoach, while Leipzig took 23 hours.

At the table

The rise of potato schnapps

Potato-based schnapps became a widespread and essential daily pleasure for the poor, as it was much cheaper to produce than grain-based spirits. Some observers noted that after market days, many farmers returned home in a state of intoxication.

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.In Europe · 1803–1815

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.

Ruedi33a · CC BY-SA 4.0

What people wore

Industrious Spinning in Rural Winter Life

Young women in rural Prussia were often famous for their industriousness, frequently spinning two or even three pieces of yarn daily after completing their domestic chores and farm work. This spinning took place in communal spinning rooms, which served as the center of winter life.

Music

Singing at church and parish gatherings

For many people in the Prussian lands, Sunday church service was a weekly routine, and singing could also happen at church occasions. Beyond worship, people spent leisure time with games like bowling and cards, and with dancing at local fairs and shooting festivals.

Daily life

Typical rural home layout and construction

Ordinary rural homes were low-ceilinged wooden structures with small, round glass windows and floors made of stone or brick. Cooking often took place in the living room using a masonry hearth, while a single large room served as a bedroom for the entire family and sometimes even the servants.