George Karl Prinz von Thurn und Taxis

Getting around

Traveling by foot was grueling work

Traveling on foot was common but physically grueling, as illustrated by the writer Jean Paul who walked from Hof to Bayreuth in winter 1796, arriving exhausted. Those with luggage often had to pay for a porter who served as both a guide and a carrier.

At the table

Coffee and cheap surrogates were daily staples

By the late 18th century, coffee became a common daily necessity for ordinary people, often mixed with cheap surrogates like chicory or roasted rye and barley to stretch the expensive beans.

What people wore

Men’s Sunday Black Coat

Working men typically wore a simple black coat called a Rock for their Sunday attire, which was usually fastened with hooks rather than buttons.

Music

Instruments used by common people

Ordinary people commonly played instruments like the fiddle, clarinet, horn, bass, hammered dulcimer, and bagpipes at dances and festivals. Occasionally, other instruments such as the harp, bassoon, oboe, flute, hurdy-gurdy, jew's harp, and zither were also used.

Daily life

Cooking on open hearths without ovens

Ordinary people typically relied on open fires or basic hearths without ovens for cooking, as these were common in the region before the introduction of modern stoves around 1800. Daily meals were seasonal and often consisted of dairy products, grain-based dishes, and limited meat, with lard being used extensively.