Maria-Rosalie von Hohenau, Countess von Hohenau

Getting around

City carriage travel rates

Local carriage travel in cities like Barmen and Elberfeld was common, with a non-stop ride costing 50 Pfennig for up to two people, or 1 Mark for a half-hour ride.

At the table

Meat was a luxury for working families

In working-class households, meat—often cheap sausage or ground meat—was a luxury, frequently reserved for Sunday meals, and sometimes stretched with breadcrumbs to make meat-like dishes like fake rabbit. Men, seen as the primary providers, often received the largest portions of meat, while wives and children ate significantly less.

What people wore

Rural and urban wedding attire customs

In rural areas, brides traditionally wore black dresses that could be reused for other festive occasions, while white wedding dresses became popular in cities late in the century. Brides traditionally wore a white veil with a myrtle wreath as a symbol of virginity.

Music

Growth of amateur music societies

Community music-making was popular among the rising middle class, leading to the widespread founding of singing societies and amateur orchestras.

Daily life

Compulsory primary education was six hours daily

Children attended primary school for six hours daily, often sitting four to a bench; primary education became free of charge in 1891.