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Christine Elisabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg

Sønderborg, 23 Jun 1638 – Weimar, 7 Jun 1679

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 23 Jun 1638

    Born in Sønderborg

  2. 1658–1664

    2 children are born

  3. 7 Jun 1679

    Dies in Weimar, aged 40

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Sønderborg.

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

The 1630s · Christine is born in Sønderborg

In the news1638–1640

Sound toll increased for state revenue

King Christian IV increased the Sound toll on foreign ships starting in 1638 to fund state debts and military construction.

Getting around

Travel by horse, wagon, and ferry

In 17th-century Denmark, people traveled between towns primarily by horse and wagon, on horseback, or on foot, as no railways or steamships existed during this period. Cross-country travel often required crossing water bodies using established ferry routes to connect the different Danish provinces.

In the news1618–1648

Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

Daily life

Water quality concerns

Due to poor water quality, drinking plain water was often avoided or discouraged, with some people preferring to boil it slowly to remove impurities.

What people wore

Amager women required eleven aprons

Women in the village of Store Magleby on Amager needed to own at least 11 different aprons to have an appropriate outfit for every occasion.

Music

Popular musical instruments of the era

Common people frequently used the recorder, bagpipe, shawm, and harp, while the lute, zither, and clavichord were considered noble instruments.

At the table

Daily diet relied on porridge and kale

Daily meals for ordinary people were simple and centered on staples like porridge and bread, while kale was a crucial winter vitamin source because it could survive outdoors year-round. Porridge and bread were essential parts of every meal, and meat or fish were consumed when available, often salted or dried.