Louise Sophie von Spiegel Gräfin von Epstein

What people wore

Women's mourning caps in Scheeßel

A woman in the Scheeßel parish typically owned about 11 different caps, five of which were used exclusively for mourning periods.

Daily life

Difficult and contaminated water access

Getting drinkable water was labor-intensive, often involving fetching it from ditches or rivers that were also used for sewage disposal. Nearby wells were frequently contaminated by sewage as well.

News and letters

Cost of sending a letter in 1693

In 1693, sending a standard letter from Güstrow to Hamburg cost 4 Schilling (ßl.).

Music

Village dance in 1678 with bagpipes

A painting of a 1678 village dance shows young people dancing to a bagpiper and a drummer while villagers drink beer in the outdoor setting.

At the table

Alcoholic beverages replaced water for safety

People rarely drank water due to contamination risks, relying instead on wine or beer, which were considered safer because of the fermentation process. Milk was almost exclusively for small children, as most of it was processed into butter and cheese for storage.

Getting around

Water Transport on the Danube

Travel by water was vital, with cargo boats like the Ordinari sailing weekly from Regensburg to Vienna, a journey of 450 kilometers that took at least a week. While downstream travel was faster, upstream journeys were labor-intensive, often requiring horses to tow the boats.

Work

Common Jobs in Rural Villages

Most common occupations were in agriculture, including fullholders, smallholders, and landless laborers like cottars (Seldner) and day laborers who often combined farming with small-scale craft or wage work. Female labor was essential and included tasks like spinning, sewing, agricultural labor, and working as live-in maidservants.