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Countess Silvia of Holstein-Ledreborg

Born 1 Jan 1958

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. 1 Jan 1958

    Born

During her lifetime

She 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 · Countess is born

In the news1950–1972

Rapid growth in private car ownership

Between 1950 and 1972, the number of private and commercial vehicles in Luxembourg surged from 8,000 to over 100,000.

What people wore

Carnival customs and tie cutting

During carnival celebrations in Luxembourg, revelers frequently donned fancy dress and masks to participate in masked balls and parades. Women also engaged in a tradition where they would unceremoniously cut off the ties of men, symbolically divesting them of their role in society.

Daily life

Rise of household appliances and cars

Household appliance ownership surged; by 1970, 87% of homes had refrigerators and 80% had washing machines, up from almost zero in 1947. Car ownership also exploded, rising from 8,000 vehicles in 1950 to over 100,000 by 1972.

In the news1956

Electrification of major railway lines

In 1956, the Luxembourg rail network was modernized with the solemn inauguration of electrification on the lines connecting to Brussels and Metz.

Music

Wooden rattles replaced church bells at Easter

During Maundy Thursday and the subsequent three days, children replaced silent church bells by using wooden rattles, ratchets, and drums to announce services. These children, known as Klibberjongen, went door-to-door to solicit rewards like Easter eggs or coins.

In Europe1948–1952

The Marshall Plan

American aid of some $13 billion rebuilt the ruined economies of Western Europe.

Getting around

Final journey of Charly train

The narrow-gauge train nicknamed Charly, which traveled to Echternach, made its final journey under steam power on June 12, 1954.