Sophie of Merenberg

What people wore

Distinctive Herdsmen Accessories

Herdsmen in the Alpstein mountains wore distinctive silver accessories, including a watch-chain with coins and an earring featuring a miniature cream ladle.

Getting around

Postal coach travel times reduction

In 1850, a postal stagecoach journey between Bern and Schwarzenburg took three hours, a time reduced to two hours and ten minutes by 1888.

At the table

Pre-work alcohol consumption for 20 centimes

Alcohol consumption was prevalent, as industrial workers were known to visit taverns early in the morning before work for a hit of liquor costing 20 centimes.

Music

The affordable Langnauerli harmonica for the masses

The handheld Langnauerli harmonica, an inexpensive instrument with only two bass keys and nine melody keys, became popular among the lower classes starting around 1836. By the 1870s, it remained an accessible way for ordinary people to make music.

Daily life

Water sourced from local wells

Most people obtained their water from local wells, as household water connections were not common until the final third of the 19th century. Centralized water supplies in larger cities like Bern and Zurich did not arrive until 1868.

What it cost

Cost of a pair of shoes

A pair of shoes cost between 6 and 7 francs in the region.