Johann Nepomuk, 9th Prince of Schwarzenberg

Getting around

Railway revolution reduced travel times drastically

For a journey between Vienna and Klagenfurt, passengers relied on slow stagecoaches until the railway expanded; travel time dropped from five days by coach to ten or twelve hours by train after 1864.

At the table

Survival diet of poor families

Many poor families survived on dry bread and potatoes, often unable to afford enough meat even for basic hunger. Workers sometimes earned no more than 1 Gulden per day to support their large families.

What people wore

Swaddling practices and constant headwear use

Infants were placed in swaddling cushions for several months to ensure they grew straight, and male toddlers were dressed in dresses just like girls. Adults of both genders kept their headwear on all day, even while eating meals at the table.

Music

Evolution of dance and instrumentation

Dances like the polka, waltz, mazurka, and schottische were increasingly integrated into the repertoire alongside traditional dances, with brass ensembles often replacing older string groups in many performance settings. Although these styles evolved, traditional folk dances remained deeply anchored in daily life and festivals.

Daily life

Transition to Gas and Petroleum Lighting

By the late 1850s, larger cities across the monarchy began installing gas street lighting, while those outside cities relied on petroleum lamps, which provided significantly better light than traditional candles.