Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels

Kassel, 8 Dec 1623 – Cologne, 2 May 1693

8 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 8 Dec 1623

    Born in Kassel

  2. 15 May 1648

    A son is born

  3. 2 May 1693

    Dies in Cologne, aged 69

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Kassel.

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

The 1620s · Ernest, is born in Kassel

In the news1618–1623

The Kipper and Wipper Economic Crisis

Between 1618 and 1623, Germany suffered the Kipper and Wipper economic crisis, where rulers debased coins by reducing silver content, causing rapid inflation. This made it impossible for people with fixed incomes, such as teachers and pensioners, to afford basic living expenses.

At the table

Eating Porridge with Hands

Grain porridge was the most important hot meal, often made of oats or millet and reheated until thick. Families typically ate it by taking pieces directly from a central bowl with their hands.

What people wore

Everyday Women's Clothing Basics

An everyday women's outfit consisted of a white shirt, a colored bodice called a Brustlein, a skirt known as an Unterrock, and a white apron. The Brustlein was often sold as ready-to-wear, while the skirt required a tailor.

Getting around

Travel Speeds Were Generally Very Slow

Typical travelers, often delayed by weather, poor roads, or cargo, were generally happy to cover 100 kilometers in a week.

What it cost

Food and clothing costs in 1622

In 1622 Pomerania, a pound of bacon cost 5 to 6 Schillinge, while a pair of simple shoes cost 20 Schillinge, nearly four times the price of the bacon.

Music

Weekly Music in Villages

In rural villages, musicians and singers performed church music every Sunday, and they even held dance events in local taverns.

Daily life

Difficult access to clean water

Accessing safe drinking water was difficult; people often relied on ditches or rivers, which were contaminated by sewage and waste. Some used specialized cisterns to collect rainwater for drinking, keeping it separate from non-potable water.