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Countess Palatine Elisabeth of Simmern-Sponheim

Birkenfeld, 30 Jun 1540 – Wiener Neustadt, 8 Feb 1594

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 30 Jun 1540

    Born in Birkenfeld

  2. 8 Feb 1594

    Dies in Wiener Neustadt, aged 53

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Birkenfeld.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1540s · Countess is born in Birkenfeld

In the news1545

Introduction of drawbar wagons

In 1545, new vehicles called drawbar wagons (Deichselwägen) began to be used in the area above the Enns.

Getting around

Common modes of land travel

Most people traveled on foot, as railways and steamships did not exist, while the wealthy preferred horses or mules for their stability in mountainous terrain. Carriages were primarily reserved for women, the sick, or prisoners due to their lack of suspension and uncomfortable ride.

In the news1540

Vienna's first plague ordinance established

To combat the plague, Vienna established its first official infection ordinance in 1540 to organize isolation and public health measures.

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.

What people wore

Strict sumptuary laws restricted attire

Sumptuary laws from 1530 strictly forbade common country folk from wearing gold, silver, pearls, silk, ostrich feathers, or slashed clothing to maintain social distinctions. Furthermore, peasant women were limited to using simple fur types like lamb or goat, while any elaborate decorations or expensive accessories were officially prohibited.

Music

School children singing for income

School children were required to sing German hymns daily at church services and earned extra money by singing at funerals and in front of wealthy citizens' houses.

At the table

Grain porridges were a staple food

For ordinary rural families, the daily diet relied heavily on grain-based porridges made from millet or oats, often cooked with water or milk and seasoned with salt. While bread was more common among the nobility and townspeople, peasants frequently consumed this hearty porridge as their primary meal.