Duke Alexander of Württemberg

Getting around

Travel duration and variety

In the 19th century, a journey could take anywhere from one day to several weeks, depending on the route and the transport used. For instance, some students walked to university, a journey that could last for several weeks.

At the table

Hemp milk in winter

During winter, when cow's milk was unavailable, peasant families prepared hemp milk by grinding dried hemp seeds with a pestle and adding water.

What people wore

Handmade Pastalas and Woven Summer Shoes

Latvians wore handmade leather footwear called pastalas, which were simple, flat, sandal-like shoes made from a single piece of leather pulled together with strings. In the summer, peasants sometimes substituted these with shoes woven from flexible willow or hazel branches.

Music

Women's rattle-stick instruments

Women accompanied wedding songs using rattle-sticks, such as the trideksnis, which consisted of wooden sticks with hanging metal jingles and bells.

Daily life

Daily lighting and water access challenges

Lighting was scarce and provided by tallow candles, oil lamps, or pine splinters that were often held in the hearth. Water for daily needs was typically retrieved from village pumps or springs, and chores like fetching water could be time-consuming, requiring one to wait for buckets to fill under a slow stream.