Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel

What people wore

Complex tailoring of men's shirts

A traditional Danish man's shirt was often constructed from 15 separate pieces of linen, which were carefully cut from a single piece of fabric to minimize waste and costs.

Getting around

Adjusting watches at train stations

Because of local time differences, passengers had to adjust their pocket watches at every new station until standardized time zones were introduced.

At the table

Daily meal patterns and beer porridge

In ordinary families, the father ate five meals a day to sustain hard labor, while mothers and children typically ate three. Breakfast for many often consisted of beer porridge (øllebrød) and a piece of salted herring.

Music

Dance music and religious singing at home

While the fiddle became the dominant instrument for dance music, 19th-century social gatherings frequently featured popular new round dances such as the waltz, polka, and mazurka. Music was central to the home, with hymnals serving as essential religious guides for families during private devotions.

Daily life

Lack of indoor toilets

Toilets were not present inside homes; instead, families used communal sheds in courtyards or on back stairs that emptied into pits.

What it cost

Rising food prices in Copenhagen markets

Between 1839 and 1873, the price of basic food items in Copenhagen increased significantly; for example, the price of a dozen eggs rose from 12 to 36 skillings.