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Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Weimar, 3 Sep 1757 – Graditz, 14 Jun 1828

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 3 Sep 1757

    Born in Weimar

  2. 1783–1786

    2 children are born

  3. 14 Jun 1828

    Dies in Graditz, aged 70

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1750s · Charles is born in Weimar

In the news1756–1763

Seven Years' War casualties and destruction

During the Seven Years' War, some 160,000 Prussian soldiers died in battle or from disease, devastating the population.

Getting around

Dangers and Hardships of 18th-Century Travel

Travel was often physically demanding and dangerous, with carriages that were frequently uncomfortably sprung or unsprung, causing travelers to suffer from motion sickness or injury. Due to the poor state of roads and the threat of highwaymen, travelers often carried weapons or avoided unnecessary trips, with some prominent figures never leaving their home region.

In Europe1755

Lisbon is destroyed by an earthquake

On All Saints’ Day an earthquake, a tsunami and fires levelled Lisbon and killed tens of thousands; Europe’s thinkers argued over it for decades.

Daily life

Open Hearth Cooking and Pump Well Water

Cooking took place in the living room over an open fireplace or a masonry hearth with a recessed grate, using wood or brown coal for fuel. Drinking water was typically sourced from communal pump wells located in the village center.

What people wore

Women's Caps Served Many Purposes

Most women, regardless of their status, wore a cap as both a fashionable and practical accessory to protect their hair while working near heat or dust.

Music

Regulated music at weddings and funerals

Weddings were major social events where music was highly regulated by status, dictating the number of performers and the duration of the celebrations. Musicians often played at these weddings and funerals, with societies in places like Leuben attending up to 18 weddings annually.

At the table

Beer and coffee substitutes as staples

Ordinary people drank low-alcohol thin beer daily, which was considered nutritious and sometimes served as a soup to children. Coffee was expensive, leading many to drink substitutes like chicory or roasted cereals, a mixture often referred to as Bauernkaffee or Muckefuck.