Sigismund Siegfried, Count of Promnitz in Pless

What people wore

Cost of Peasant Clothing

A full set of peasant clothing, including a shirt, trousers, a woollen outer garment, a sheepskin coat, and boots, was valued at 26.5 Polish gold coins.

Daily life

Schooling for non-noble children

In the second half of the 16th century, commoners' children frequently attended educational institutions, making up over half of the students at the Krakow Academy.

Work

Common roles for peasants and laborers

The majority of the population were peasants who worked their own plots while also performing mandatory labor, known as pańszczyzna, on their lord's estate. This labor requirement typically involved 1 to 3 days of work per week, often including manual labor or providing their own draught animals like horses and oxen for plowing.

Music

Instruments and Liturgical Singing

Bagpipes (duda), violins (skrypka), and various flutes and drums were common instruments played at inns and social gatherings. In church, Jesuit students regularly performed specific liturgical songs like Iam lucis orto sidere to open their classes.

At the table

Market purchases for household supply

In 1590, a purchase recorded at Ivenets shows a peasant household acquiring beef and salt at a market to supplement their own food production.

Getting around

Daily travel distances for commoners

Travelers on foot or in wagons covered approximately 20 to 30 kilometers per day, while those on horseback could manage 30 to 40 kilometers.

What it cost

Wages and Purchasing Power in Kraków

An unskilled day laborer typically earned about 1.5 to 2 groschen per day. With this daily wage, one could buy about 7 kilograms of rye, 4.5 kilograms of wheat, or approximately 20 liters of beer.