John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Coburg

At the table

German reputation for fatty, mustard-heavy diets

Germans were known for a fatty diet, using lard and butter extensively for cooking, and were famous for smearing generous amounts of mustard on meat.

What people wore

Women's Stockings and Garters

Peasant women wore stockings that reached above the knee, which were held in place by garters tied above the calf. These were often made from wool and cut at a 45-degree angle to the grain to ensure they were stretchable and fit tightly.

Getting around

Carriages were uncomfortable and rare

Carriages were uncomfortable, unsprung vehicles primarily used by women, the sick, or prisoners, as they were prone to squeaking and shaking on poor roads.

What it cost

Laborer wages and shoe costs

In early 16th-century Saxony, a day laborer could earn 9 groschen per week with keep or 16 groschen without keep. For comparison, a pair of shoes cost 3 groschen.

Music

Popular Wedding and Civic Musicians

In German cities around 1500, a common ensemble for weddings was the pipe and drum, with performers sometimes earning half a guilder for their services. These musicians were frequently hired alongside or to alternate with town pipers (Stadtpfeifer) who played brass instruments like shawms and trombones.

Daily life

Emergence of village schools in Hesse

Before the Reformation, village schools were reportedly non-existent in Hesse, but by 1556, visitors noted the establishment of seven village schools in the central region of the principality. Martin Luther emphasized that schools were necessary for both boys and girls to learn to conduct the affairs of life.