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Sophia Dorothea Stolberg

Wolfenbüttel, 26 Sep 1658 – Gedern, 23 Jul 1681

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 26 Sep 1658

    Born in Wolfenbüttel

  2. 23 Jul 1681

    Dies in Gedern, aged 22

Family

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Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Wolfenbüttel.

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

The 1650s · Sophia is born in Wolfenbüttel

In the news1654

Legally binding serfdom in Mecklenburg

The Servants Law of 1654 legally anchored serfdom in Mecklenburg, divesting serfs of personal freedoms and allowing them to be sold with property.

At the table

Avoiding Contaminated Water

Water was rarely drunk, as people relied on beer or watered-down vinegar for safer hydration. Often, drinking water was avoided entirely due to the high risk of contamination from nearby cesspools.

What people wore

Wedding shirts as burial shrouds

The funeral custom was so precise that couples carefully preserved the shirts worn on their wedding day to be used as their burial garments. Additionally, deceased women were often buried with one of their caps, such as the communion cap.

Getting around

River travel from Regensburg to Vienna

Starting in 1696, boats called 'Ordinari' transported passengers down the Danube from Regensburg to Vienna, a distance of about 450 kilometers that took at least one week.

What it cost

Prices for staple food items

Around 1650, a scheffel of wheat cost 36 groschen, while a single chicken was priced at four and a half groschen.

Music

Village Dances Featured Bagpipes and Drums

At village festivals, ordinary people enjoyed dancing to the music provided by a bagpiper and a drummer. These gatherings were relaxed outdoor events where villagers would drink beer and socialize while watching the dance.

Daily life

Dark and smoky rural homes

Rural homes often lacked chimneys, causing smoke from open hearths to fill living areas with poor air. Many houses were dark, with only small windows or simple peep-holes.