Heinrich II., Reuss zu Köstritz

What people wore

Status signals through gold pins

Women signaled their status using gold forehead pins, with the number of engraved swans indicating wealth and the position of the pin showing marital status. Unmarried women wore the pin on the left, while married women wore it on the right.

Getting around

Measuring distance by time or pipes

The trekschuit moved at a steady pace of about 7 kilometers per hour, allowing people to measure distances by the time it took to travel rather than by miles. Locals sometimes even measured distances by the number of pipes smoked during the journey.

At the table

Potatoes as the main staple food

Potatoes became the staple food for ordinary families, often eaten at least twice a day with salt and sometimes mustard.

Music

Singing as an Everyday Community Activity

Singing was a central part of daily life, with people singing in streets, homes, taverns, and during public celebrations or political events. Songs helped maintain a sense of community even during times of political unrest or physical separation.

Daily life

Schooling was irregular and fee-based

Elementary education was voluntary and irregular; children often stayed home to work on farms or in factories during busy seasons like harvesting. Families paid school fees, such as 4 to 10 stuivers per quarter, for their children to learn basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

What it cost

Annual earnings of an ordinary worker

In the early 19th century, an ordinary worker could earn between 250 and 300 guilders per year, provided they were not frequently struck by illness or unemployment.