Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria

What people wore

Cleanliness as a mark of respectability

By the mid-eighteenth century, even people in lower wealth tiers in Vienna typically owned enough shirts and shifts to change them at least twice a week. Clean white linen was considered the standard for judging personal morality and respectability.

Getting around

Stagecoach limits: ~37 km/day

Stagecoaches were limited by roads and track spacing, managing only about 37 km per day on average in early modern conditions.

At the table

Affordable coffee substitute for the poor

Poorer residents drank a substitute for coffee made from roasted barley sweetened with syrup, which cost only 1 Kreuzer for a cup and a roll.

Music

Ceremonial Brass and Percussion Instruments

Trumpets and timpani were essential instruments used for state ceremonies, church processions, and official announcements, often serving to capture public attention in city squares.

Daily life

Shared urban living in cramped quarters

For ordinary residents, homes were often cramped rented rooms in multi-story buildings where daily tasks like cooking, sleeping, and working were all performed in the same limited space. Families relied on neighborhood wells and fountains for water and had to manage heating through tiled stoves that required constant attention.

What it cost

Wedding music cost 33 gulden in 1755

In 1755, a wealthy merchant family paid 33 gulden for music for a wedding, which is equivalent to a significant luxury expense compared to everyday food costs.