Clara Maria of Pomerania

Getting around

Most travel was done on foot

Ordinary people primarily traveled between towns on foot, usually covering about 20 kilometers per day. For longer distances, they relied on walking, although they occasionally hitched rides on wagons belonging to farmers or carters.

Daily life

Beer was safer than water

Drinking water was often unhygienic and contaminated, so beer was frequently consumed instead because brewing made it safer and provided essential calories.

What people wore

Clothing as an Investment and Charity Gift

Ordinary people took great care of their clothing, which was considered an investment; garments were frequently passed down, gifted, or sold second-hand rather than discarded. In a 1577 charitable donation in Nuremberg, 100 poor men each received a standardized, durable outfit consisting of a black wool coat, a black wool waistcoat, black wool trousers, a black hat, a white linen shirt, and a pair of shoes.

Music

Moralizing Italian dance songs for students

Teachers and pastors replaced erotic texts of popular Italian dance-songs with moral or devotional words to create acceptable music for schoolboys to sing.

At the table

Grains and vegetables as staples

For ordinary families, grains served as the foundation of the diet in the form of porridges or coarse breads. Vegetables such as turnips, cabbage, and onions were essential daily staples, often cooked with lard or bacon.