Leopold V, Archduke of Austria

What people wore

Jewish population faced discriminatory dress regulations

Discriminatory laws compelled Jewish men to wear specific identifying markers on their clothes, such as beards or stigmatizing symbols.

Daily life

Long school days and set schedule

In 1586, school days lasted seven hours, starting at 6:00 a.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m. in winter, with subjects including religion, reading, writing, and singing.

Work

Moonlighting militia in the cities

City militia members, whose military pay was meagre, often supplemented their income by working as bakers, cobblers, or innkeepers.

Music

Instruments used in 16th-century Austrian music

In the late 16th century, musicians in Austrian regions played instruments such as recorders, trombones, cornetti, lutes, harps, and viols, as seen in period iconography and monastery artifacts.

At the table

Common Staples: Porridge and Bread

The daily diet of ordinary families centered on cereal-based porridges made of oats, millet, or barley, often prepared with water, milk, or lard. Bread, typically made from rye or oats, was another primary staple, sometimes baked into durable flatbreads that could be softened with water.

Getting around

Most people traveled primarily on foot

For the majority of people, traveling was primarily done on foot, with most individuals covering 20 to 35 kilometers per day depending on the terrain.

What it cost

Cost of beef and bread

In 1575, the price of beef in Vienna was approximately 3.14 kreuzer per kilogram, increasing to 5.14 kreuzer by 1599. During the same period, bread prices rose from about 0.86 to 1.47 kreuzer per kilogram.