Princess Marie Henriette Josepha of Fürstenberg-Stühlingen

At the table

Beverages of Ordinary People

Ordinary people typically drank beer for sustenance and at social gatherings, while coffee began to gain popularity among some segments of the population toward the middle of the century. Barley coffee was also used as a common beverage for afternoon snacks.

What people wore

Mandatory Clothing for Knackers

A 1733 regulation required knackers and their assistants to wear dark gray coats with buttons and red, pointed hats to identify themselves in public. Failure to follow this dress code resulted in forced labor known as the cart punishment.

Getting around

Difficulties of traveling on Prussian roads

In the 18th century, travel in Prussia was notoriously difficult due to poor roads, with some passengers joking that they could have walked faster than the carriage. A coachman could even abandon a passenger on the road if the passenger struck them or complained too aggressively.

Work

Mandatory spinning for workers

A 1723 royal edict mandated that street vendors and unemployed servants spin one pound of wool weekly, and even craftswomen or merchants' daughters were forbidden from sitting idle while at market stalls. They were required to spend their time spinning wool or flax, knitting, or sewing instead.

Music

Hautboisten provided common musical entertainment

Hautboisten, who were professional wind ensembles, were among the primary providers of musical entertainment in Prussian lands during the first half of the 18th century.

Daily life

Simple peasant and town housing

Common peasant homes were simple one or two-room timber-framed structures, often dominated by a central hearth used for both warmth and cooking meals like bread and potatoes. In some planned towns, houses were built without cellars and partitioned into two equal living spaces to accommodate two families each.