Maria Josefa von Habsburg

At the table

Coffee substitute for 1 kreuzer

For 1 kreuzer, working-class people could buy a bowl of roasted barley drink sweetened with syrup, which served as an affordable substitute for expensive coffee.

What people wore

Durable leather garments for men

Ordinary men in this period wore durable leather clothing, such as the Pelzrock, which was made of sheepskin worn with the fur inside and featured decorative embroidery. Peasant men also frequently wore waistcoats made of leather, known as Joppen, which were valued for their ability to protect against wind and rain.

Getting around

Carriage travel times

Travel was slow and difficult; for example, a journey by carriage between St. Pölten and Melk, a distance of 30 kilometers, took 5 to 7 hours under good weather conditions.

What it cost

Price of bread in Vienna

Between 1650 and 1674, the price of bread in Vienna ranged from 1.27 to 2.82 Kreuzer per kilogram.

Music

Common instruments for rural dance

In 17th-century rural areas, the most common instruments for dance music were the bagpipe, the hurdy-gurdy, and the fiddle.

Daily life

The heart of the home: The Stube

The Stube was a central, heated room in homes, where children often sat on a bench over the stove to stay warm while others worked.