Dorothea Renata, Gräfin von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf

Getting around

Supplies for the journey

Travelers often brought their own food on the road, including fried chicken, white bread, garlic, lard, and several bottles of wine.

Daily life

The central role of the fireplace

The fireplace was the essential center of the home, used for cooking, baking, heating, and light, with some ovens in the Great Plain being large enough to hold seven to eight loaves of bread. Children often slept on or near the warm hearth, sometimes in a small nook called a kuckó.

What people wore

Hat with a hidden storage bag

The Scheessel Winkelmann hat was designed with a secret fabric bag inside, which allowed the wearer to carry a hymnal, bread, and a flask while on the go.

Music

Music for sorrow and celebration

Funerals and public processions were often accompanied by ensembles of drums, trumpets, and Turkish pipes, which were played with such plaintive intensity that they were known to make both men and women weep. In contrast, festive occasions like weddings used these same musicians to create a merry atmosphere for drinking and celebration.

At the table

Bread and wine consumption in Hungary

Ordinary families consumed bread made from a mix of white flour and rye, while those of higher rank ate bread made purely of white flour. Wine was the primary drink for all social strata, with daily portions ranging from 1.6 to 3.2 liters per person.