Constance of Austria

What people wore

Jewish population faced discriminatory dress regulations

Discriminatory laws compelled Jewish men to wear specific identifying markers on their clothes, such as beards or stigmatizing symbols.

Daily life

Heated living spaces with limited light

The Stube was the only heated room in many homes, featuring small windows that limited light and a stove often fueled from outside to prevent smoke.

Work

Moonlighting militia in the cities

City militia members, whose military pay was meagre, often supplemented their income by working as bakers, cobblers, or innkeepers.

Music

Boisterous folk-style dancing at festivals

During feast days and festivals, dances often included boisterous styles like the branle, which involved circles or lines of people jumping and kicking until the musician was exhausted.

At the table

Common Staples: Porridge and Bread

The daily diet of ordinary families centered on cereal-based porridges made of oats, millet, or barley, often prepared with water, milk, or lard. Bread, typically made from rye or oats, was another primary staple, sometimes baked into durable flatbreads that could be softened with water.

Getting around

Slow daily travel for stage coaches

Stage coaches in the late 16th century traveled only about 37 kilometers on average per day due to poor roads and the varying widths of wheel tracks.

What it cost

Cost of beef and bread

In 1575, the price of beef in Vienna was approximately 3.14 kreuzer per kilogram, increasing to 5.14 kreuzer by 1599. During the same period, bread prices rose from about 0.86 to 1.47 kreuzer per kilogram.