In the news1717
Compulsory education introduced in Prussia
Prussia introduced compulsory education for children between the ages of five and twelve.
2 May 1717 – 31 Aug 1719
7 facts1 source
2 May 1717
Born
31 Aug 1719
Dies, aged 2
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1717
Prussia introduced compulsory education for children between the ages of five and twelve.
Getting around
Slow Pace of Mail Coach Travel
Travel by mail coach was slow, moving at a walking pace of about 4-5 km/h. A journey from Nuremberg to Leipzig covered roughly 70 hours, and to Regensburg about 20 hours.
At the table
Simple meals of porridge, soup, and stew
Ordinary families commonly consumed grain-based porridges and soups for breakfast and dinner, while a hearty stew served as the main midday meal. Meat was expensive, so many households reserved it for special occasions like a Sunday roast.
In Europe · 1700–1721The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.
What people wore
Sumptuary Laws Against Opulent Clothing
Authorities issued sumptuary laws to maintain social hierarchy, often banning lower classes from wearing gold, silver, pearls, silk, or costly furs, with violators risking fines or imprisonment.
Music
The cornett was a popular civic instrument
Town musicians used the versatile cornett, a wooden instrument with finger holes, for both church services and celebratory civic events.
Daily life
Simple and Frugal Home Interiors
Homes often had low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and floors made of stone or brick that were covered in sand. Rooms were sparsely furnished, and houses frequently lacked clocks, making time-keeping and domestic life simple and frugal.