John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg

What people wore

Women's Stockings and Garters

Peasant women wore stockings that reached above the knee, which were held in place by garters tied above the calf. These were often made from wool and cut at a 45-degree angle to the grain to ensure they were stretchable and fit tightly.

Daily life

Small, dark peasant homes housing livestock

Ordinary peasant homes were typically small, dark, two-room huts made from materials like mud and straw, often featuring dirt floors and thatched roofs with few or no windows to keep out the cold. In many households, it was common to bring livestock inside during the winter to keep them warm and safe.

Work

Craftsman wages and food prices

South German masons and carpenters earned approximately 20 denarii in summer and 16 in winter daily, plus board and lodging. During this time, beef cost about 2 denarii per pound.

Music

Popular Wedding and Civic Musicians

In German cities around 1500, a common ensemble for weddings was the pipe and drum, with performers sometimes earning half a guilder for their services. These musicians were frequently hired alongside or to alternate with town pipers (Stadtpfeifer) who played brass instruments like shawms and trombones.

At the table

Laborer purchasing power in 1500s Augsburg

In Augsburg, a day laborer's daily wage could purchase six pounds of meat or seven eggs, a peck of peas, and a quart of wine, alongside bread.

Getting around

River travel was significantly faster

Travel by water was faster; flat-bottomed river boats could cover 100 to 150 kilometers downstream in a single day under optimal conditions.

What it cost

Meat prices and daily wages

A daily wage for a laborer in Augsburg was equivalent to the value of 5 to 6 pounds of the best meat. In Bavaria, one pound of the best beef cost 2 pfennige, while a day laborer earned 18 pfennige daily.