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Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Schwerin, 19 Nov 1779 – Gotha, 4 Jan 1801

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 19 Nov 1779

    Born in Schwerin

  2. 21 Dec 1800

    A daughter is born

  3. 4 Jan 1801

    Dies in Gotha, aged 21

Family

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Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Schwerin.

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

The 1770s · Duchess is born in Schwerin

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

Slow speeds on poor road networks

Stagecoaches traveled at a walking pace of only 4 to 5 km/h, stopping every 15 to 30 kilometers at relay stations to change horses and passengers. Due to the poor conditions of the roads, these journeys were often exhausting and prone to accidents.

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

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.

What people wore

Men’s Sunday Black Coat

Working men typically wore a simple black coat called a Rock for their Sunday attire, which was usually fastened with hooks rather than buttons.

Music

Festival courtship and entertainment

During town fairs, young men purchased sweets and confections for their sweethearts, with the lover placing the first piece into the girl's mouth. Young people also frequented local inns to enjoy dancing, singing, and string music.

At the table

Kitchen tools for open fire cooking

To save time while cooking soups, housewives used hooks with a sawtooth design to quickly adjust the height of pots over the fire. They also used a specialized iron tool called a Cold Hand to remove hot pots because oven mitts were not yet in use.