Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen

At the table

Salted Herring as a Daily Staple

Salted herring was a vital, affordable protein source for ordinary people, with a single fish costing 2 alb. It served as a staple alongside bread and cheese to supplement grain-based diets.

What people wore

Bavarian laws restricted everyday clothing materials

In 1626, Bavarian law strictly forbade common people, laborers, and farmers from wearing expensive fabrics like crimson-dyed cloth, gold or silver trimmings, or silk ribbons. Farmers were instead directed to use domestic wool, sheepskin, or calfskin and were permitted only simple linen collars without lace or fringe.

Getting around

River Travel Was Often the Fastest Option

Traveling by boat downstream on rivers like the Danube was the fastest method, sometimes covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours.

What it cost

Food and clothing costs in 1622

In 1622 Pomerania, a pound of bacon cost 5 to 6 Schillinge, while a pair of simple shoes cost 20 Schillinge, nearly four times the price of the bacon.

Music

Music in Homes and Religious Devotion

During the early seventeenth century, music was an integral part of home life, with keyboard tablatures enabling people to play compositions like dances or sacred works on instruments such as the organ, harpsichord, or clavichord. Meanwhile, religious life featured cradle devotions at Christmas, where music was played while rocking a cradle representing the Christ child.

Daily life

Limited and seasonal schooling for children

There was no general compulsory education, and rural schools were often only attended in winter because children were required to work on farms during the summer. Instruction focused primarily on memorizing the Bible to learn how to pray and read scripture, with writing and arithmetic taught only afterward if at all.