Alexander Karl Prinz von Thurn und Taxis

At the table

Kitchen tools for open fire cooking

To save time while cooking soups, housewives used hooks with a sawtooth design to quickly adjust the height of pots over the fire. They also used a specialized iron tool called a Cold Hand to remove hot pots because oven mitts were not yet in use.

What people wore

Practical Work Clothes for Women

Working women wore practical, loose-fitting clothing like an apron, headscarf, and cap, with shorter skirts and wide sleeves to allow free arm movement while handling water, fire, or animals.

Getting around

Dangers and Hardships of 18th-Century Travel

Travel was often physically demanding and dangerous, with carriages that were frequently uncomfortably sprung or unsprung, causing travelers to suffer from motion sickness or injury. Due to the poor state of roads and the threat of highwaymen, travelers often carried weapons or avoided unnecessary trips, with some prominent figures never leaving their home region.

What it cost

Daily wages for construction workers

Between 1755 and 1774, master masons and journeymen earned a daily wage of 15 Albus in summer and 12 Albus in winter, while laborers earned 10 Albus in summer.

Music

Everyday singing in homes and workrooms

Singing was a common activity in daily life, often performed without sheet music while working, such as during textile work in spinning rooms, or at church services and social gatherings.

Daily life

Seasonal Schooling Led by Untrained Teachers

Schooling was primarily limited to winter months, as children were needed for farm work and tending livestock during the rest of the year. Many village schoolmasters lacked formal training, often being retired soldiers, weavers, or tinkers.