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Count Karl Heinrich Ludwig von Bassewitz-Levetzow

Schwerin, 3 Mar 1855 – Bristow, 21 Feb 1921

6 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 3 Mar 1855

    Born in Schwerin

  2. 27 Jan 1888

    A daughter is born

  3. 21 Feb 1921

    Dies in Bristow, aged 65

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1850s · Count is born in Schwerin

Who governed

What people wore

Protecting Skin from the Sun

Women wore a white, coif-like cap on weekdays to protect their skin from the sun, as being suntanned was not considered fashionable.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and kindergarten costs

Children were required to attend school from ages six to fourteen, often carrying books in long tin satchels. In model kindergartens, families could pay fees between sixpence and three shillings a month for care and meals.

In the news1850

Fugitive Slave Act Passed in 1850

The Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Act, which increased federal power to recover runaway slaves while denying them jury trials.

Music

Singing was a common group leisure activity

People often sang together after work or during leisure time, such as when farm workers returned home with their tools or during Sunday afternoon strolls.

At the table

Alcohol as a Daily Staple

Schnapps, distilled cheaply from potatoes, became a daily staple for the poor alongside sugar-sweetened coffee. Beer was also consumed, and by the later part of the period, the invention of bottled beer with swing stoppers made it more accessible.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Getting around

Limitations of mail-coach travel

Before railways became dominant, mail-coaches reached speeds of 8 to 12.7 km/h, but their daily range was limited to around 100 kilometers due to frequent stops, meals, and border controls.