Stanisław Grabowski

What people wore

Protective capes for grooming

Both men and women wore protective capes called pudermantle, often made of white fabric, to shield their clothes while grooming their hair with powder.

Getting around

The challenge of finding accommodation

Polish inns were notorious for poor conditions, often lacking beds, forcing travelers to sleep on straw and provide their own sheets. Wealthy travelers frequently brought their own equipment or avoided inns entirely by staying with friends, relatives, or in monasteries.

At the table

Potatoes and children's porridge habits

Potatoes began to appear in middle-class gardens in the second half of the 18th century, though they initially faced resistance because people feared they were harmful to health. Children's diets often relied on porridges, such as millet, which was considered healthier for them than meat.

Music

The sound and power of church bells

Church bells were the loudest artificial sounds in villages, serving to signal religious services, mark the time of day, and warn communities of fires or approaching troops. People also believed that ringing bells could ward off storms and evil spirits in folk mythology.

Daily life

Sleeping Arrangements of Ordinary People

Before the end of the 18th century, beds were rare in peasant homes, where people often slept on benches or on straw spread on the floor. Wealthy households, however, used beds with canopies and bed linen.

What it cost

Annual income of a craftsman

An average craftsman in Kraków earned 465 Polish złotys per year during the reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski (1764–1795).