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Sophia Dorothea of Prussia

Berlin, 25 Jan 1719 – Schwedt/Oder, 13 Nov 1765

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 25 Jan 1719

    Born in Berlin

  2. 18 Dec 1736

    A daughter is born

  3. 13 Nov 1765

    Dies in Schwedt/Oder, aged 46

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Berlin.

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

The 1710s · Sophia is born in Berlin

In the news1717

Compulsory education introduced in Prussia

Prussia introduced compulsory education for children between the ages of five and twelve.

Getting around

Slow Pace of Mail Coach Travel

Travel by mail coach was slow, moving at a walking pace of about 4-5 km/h. A journey from Nuremberg to Leipzig covered roughly 70 hours, and to Regensburg about 20 hours.

At the table

Simple meals of porridge, soup, and stew

Ordinary families commonly consumed grain-based porridges and soups for breakfast and dinner, while a hearty stew served as the main midday meal. Meat was expensive, so many households reserved it for special occasions like a Sunday roast.

The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.In Europe · 1700–1721

The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.

Imonoz · CC BY-SA 4.0

What people wore

Sumptuary Laws Against Opulent Clothing

Authorities issued sumptuary laws to maintain social hierarchy, often banning lower classes from wearing gold, silver, pearls, silk, or costly furs, with violators risking fines or imprisonment.

Music

Fiddlers earned Nickelgrosken at village celebrations

Fiddlers were central to village life and were paid for their services at weddings and parties with small coins known as Nickelgrosken.

Daily life

Lighting, Cooking, and Water Access

Lighting was limited to pine torches, tallow candles, or oil lamps, while cooking was done over an open fire or in masonry hearths with a wide chimney hood to collect smoke. Water was typically obtained from community pump wells.