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Margrethe of Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg

Sønderborg, 24 Feb 1583 – Unteres Schloss, 20 Apr 1658

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 24 Feb 1583

    Born in Sønderborg

  2. 2 Sep 1615

    A daughter is born

  3. 20 Apr 1658

    Dies in Unteres Schloss, aged 75

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Sønderborg.

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

The 1580s · Margrethe is born in Sønderborg

In the news1583–1585

Deadly epidemic hits Copenhagen

A severe typhus-like epidemic hit Copenhagen in 1583, leading to an average of 46 deaths per day in August.

Getting around

Carriages replaced horseback for travel

In the 16th century, horse-drawn carriages became increasingly common for transporting people, replacing the earlier custom where both men and women typically traveled on horseback.

In the news1580–1581

Spanish Pip epidemic kills many

An infectious disease known locally as the Spanish Pip caused high mortality across the Nordic region, including killing a third of the population on Nordstrand.

Daily life

Beer instead of water for drinking

Water was rarely drunk plain because it was often considered unsafe; instead, even children commonly drank beer, which was typically weak and sour. Water was primarily used for cooking and household needs, often sourced from wells that required careful management to prevent contamination.

What people wore

Shoemaker workshop attire in 1583

In a 1583 stained-glass window from Odense, a master shoemaker is depicted in a tight doublet and hose with yellow trimmings and a matching yellow ruff. His workers, meanwhile, were shown wearing modest white linen shirts, black aprons, and pleated neck ruffs.

Music

Popular Music and Instruments at Gatherings

Musicians, often called pipers, frequently played pipe and drum simultaneously at weddings and social gatherings, using instruments like the shawm, which was a popular domestic instrument.

At the table

Kale sustained families through winter

Kale was a vital vitamin source for ordinary people because it was the only vegetable that could survive outdoors all winter. Consequently, home gardens were often referred to as kale-yards.