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Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Altenburg, 31 Aug 1871 – Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, 22 Mar 1955

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 31 Aug 1871

    Born in Altenburg

  2. 1899–1905

    4 children are born

  3. 22 Mar 1955

    Dies in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, aged 83

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 4

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1870s · Ernst is born in Altenburg

In the news1873

Economic crash triggers long crisis

The Panic of 1873 began with a stock market crash, triggering a period of economic hardship known as the Great Depression.

What people wore

Protecting Skin from the Sun

Women wore a white, coif-like cap on weekdays to protect their skin from the sun, as being suntanned was not considered fashionable.

Getting around

Steamship travel on the Weser River

By the late 19th century, steamships on the Weser river were a popular tourist attraction, with the upstream journey from Hamelin to Münden taking 15 hours and 30 minutes, and the downstream journey taking 8 hours and 29 minutes.

The Franco-Prussian War and a united Germany. Prussia defeated France, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.In Europe · 1870–1871

The Franco-Prussian War and a united Germany. Prussia defeated France, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Anton von Werner · public domain

In the news1871

The German Empire is proclaimed

The German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, uniting various states under Kaiser Wilhelm I.

Music

Costs for attending local festival banquets

Citizens often paid an entry fee of 20 to 30 Pfennig to attend local festive banquets, which featured patriotic music, choral performances, and speeches.

Daily life

Lighting evolved from kerosene to electric bulbs

Most households relied on kerosene lamps, which were often lined up on a hallway table; one family remembered the smell and the dim light, which contrasted with the later, unpleasantly bright electric bulbs.