Skip to content
VitrineVitrine

Rudolph Herzog von Croÿ

Born 8 Jul 1955

6 facts1 source

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 8 Jul 1955

    Born

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1950s · Rudolph is born

In Europe1957

The European Economic Community

Six countries signed the Treaty of Rome, the start of what became the European Union.

At the table

Shrimp Peeling Wages

In the 1950s, a skilled shrimp peeler could process six pounds of shrimp per hour and earned 2.15 Deutsche Mark for this labor.

What people wore

The Klepper Coat Status Symbol

The Klepper coat, a rainproof jacket, became a significant status symbol for West German men by 1955. Nearly two-thirds of all raincoats produced in the country that year were manufactured by this firm.

Getting around

Affordable holiday travel in the 1950s

In 1954, vacationers could book bus trips to various German destinations, such as a Rhine cruise for 55 DM or a trip to the Black Forest for 90 DM. Many travelers saved up throughout the year for these annual holidays, and the majority typically did not travel more than 500 kilometers from their home.

What it cost

Worker wages in 1955

In 1955, the average hourly wage for a West German industrial worker rose to 1.76 Mark from 1.65 Mark in 1954.

Music

Rare records and fragile needles

Shellac records were so rare that customers had to trade in an old disc when buying a new one. The needles used to play them often wore out after only two or three uses.

Daily life

Cramped and basic postwar living conditions

In the early postwar years, families often lived in severely cramped, makeshift conditions such as barracks or subdivided rooms, with many sharing a single bed among multiple people. Basic necessities like light, heating, and running water were frequently missing or unreliable, forcing households to use items like oil lamps and primitive stoves for warmth and cooking.