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Hjalmar Högqvist

18 Jun 1839 – 1874

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 18 Jun 1839

    Born

  2. 1874

    Dies

Family

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Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

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

The 1830s · Hjalmar is born

In the news1834

Cholera epidemic strikes Sweden

A severe cholera epidemic struck Sweden in 1834, causing 4,600 deaths in Gothenburg alone.

What people wore

Leather scarcity forced many to go barefoot

Leather was so scarce that it was often prioritized for protective aprons, leading many people to go barefoot from snowmelt until late autumn to save their shoes. Some individuals even applied layers of tar to the soles of their feet to endure walking on rough terrain.

Daily life

Pine splinters used for lighting

Ordinary homes relied on pine splinters for lighting because tallow candles were considered too expensive for everyday use. In the winter, families gathered around fireplaces, where resinous wood chips were burned to provide enough light for indoor tasks.

In the news1832

Göta Canal completed

In 1832, the Göta Canal was completed, improving transportation significantly between Swedish lakes and the sea.

Music

Common folk instruments and Hardanger fiddles

The fiddle was the most common folk instrument, though others like the Jew's harp, recorder, and Hardanger fiddle (in Norway) were also used. The Hardanger fiddle is distinguished by its four or five sympathetic strings placed under the fingerboard, which create a soft, resonating sound.

Around the world1825–1830

The first passenger railway

In England a steam locomotive pulled the first public train in 1825; within decades railways crossed every continent.

Getting around

Travel speed on roads

On good roads with light carriages, travelers could cover 1 mil (10 km) per hour, though the regulations officially allowed 1.25 hours per mil.