Maurits van Vollenhoven

Daily life

Living in one room

Working-class families often lived with six to ten people in a single room, which served as kitchen, bedroom, and living space. Generation after generation slept together in a wooden bedstead.

What it cost

Typical worker diet consisted of potatoes

For many workers, the daily diet consisted mostly of potatoes with vinegar and mustard, as bread was often too expensive and meat was a rare luxury.

What people wore

Volendam men preferred knitted sleeping caps

In the fishing village of Volendam, it was extremely rare to see a man wearing a hat or cap; instead, men wore knitted sleeping caps for almost every occasion. Women in Volendam wore a cap called a hul but notably did not wear the metallic oorijzer commonly found elsewhere.

Getting around

Dramatic reduction in travel time

The introduction of steam power dramatically cut travel times; for example, the route from Groningen to Amsterdam was reduced from 27 hours in 1800 to 14.25 hours by 1857. By 1876, trains provided service every two hours between major towns like Zutphen and Amsterdam, making the country feel significantly smaller.

At the table

Jenever used to alleviate hunger pains

To ease the hunger sensation caused by a monotonous potato-based diet, many workers drank jenever, which was relatively cheap and consumed by both men and women.