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Sophia of Nassau

Biebrich Palace, 9 Jul 1836 – Stockholm, 30 Dec 1913

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born9 Jul 1836, Biebrich Palacenot verified1 source
  • MarriedOscar II of Swedennot verified1 source
  • TitleQueen Consort of Sweden, 1872–1907or Queen Consort of Norway, 1872–1905not verified1 source
  • TitleQueen Consort of Norway, 1872–1905or Queen Consort of Sweden, 1872–1907not verified1 source
  • Died30 Dec 1913, Stockholmnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 9 Jul 1836

    Born in Biebrich Palace

  2. 1858–1865

    4 children are born

  3. 1872–1907

    Queen Consort of Sweden

  4. 1872–1905

    Queen Consort of Norway

  5. 30 Dec 1913

    Dies in Stockholm, aged 77

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 4

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Biebrich Palace.

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

The 1830s · Sophia is born in Biebrich Palace

In the news1834

Zollverein customs union founded in 1834

The Zollverein was founded to eliminate customs duties between German states, fostering economic integration under Prussian leadership.

What people wore

Festive attire and heated ruffles

For feast days, women wore black cashmere or silk dresses with a white ruffle at the collar that was permanently set into waves using a heated iron.

Daily life

Child labor and rudimentary schooling conditions

Children in rural areas were often tasked with labor, such as preparing and binding daily bundles of fuel for the household fire, a chore that frequently left their hands bleeding. Schooling was frequently held in the teacher's house, where the teacher was often a poorly paid local craftsman.

In the news1832

Göta Canal completed

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

Music

The noisy brummtopf folk instrument

The brummtopf was a peculiar noise-making instrument used by groups of young people during winter festivities; it was made of a small wooden barrel covered with calfskin and played by rubbing horsehair strands inserted into the skin with wet hands.

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

Difficult and slow travel by stagecoach

Traveling by stagecoach in Prussia was often grueling and uncomfortable due to poorly maintained, unpaved roads and cramped, unsprung carriages. A journey from Berlin to Königsberg, spanning 565 kilometers, typically took ten to eleven days by post coach.