Skip to content
VitrineVitrine

Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine

Darmstadt, 20 Sep 1936 – Darmstadt, 14 Jun 1939

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 20 Sep 1936

    Born in Darmstadt

  2. 14 Jun 1939

    Dies in Darmstadt, aged 2

During her lifetime

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

The 1930s · Princess is born in Darmstadt

In the news1933–1938

Car ownership grew slowly between 1933 and 1938

Motorization remained limited in the 1930s, as the number of cars grew from 0.5 million in 1933 to 1.3 million in 1938, yet there were still only 19 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.

Getting around

Record-breaking train journey times

The futuristic Schienenzeppelin train set a world record by traveling from Hamburg to Berlin in only 1 hour and 38 minutes.

At the table

Daily shopping and dishwashing routines

Because food could not be kept fresh without refrigerators, working-class housewives shopped daily for small amounts, spending at least an hour each day comparing prices. Dishes were washed in two basins pulled from under the kitchen table, using soda instead of soap and drying them with care, as there was no running warm water.

The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 set off a world depression: banks failed, work vanished and coffee prices collapsed in Brazil.Around the world · 1929–1939

The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 set off a world depression: banks failed, work vanished and coffee prices collapsed in Brazil.

Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · public domain

What people wore

Functional fashions replaced the corset

In the 1920s, the corset fell out of fashion, replaced by functional dresses without emphasized waists and shorter hemlines ranging from knee to calf length. Women often used foundation garments like hip-shaping belts to achieve the modern silhouette.

Music

Popular dances and home music consumption

People embraced new dances like the Charleston, foxtrot, shimmy, and tango, often using record players and radios to enjoy the music at home.

Daily life

Schooling and Daily Costs for Children

Children typically attended day schools, carrying their books and lunches in long tin satchels. At schools like the Pestalozzi Fröbel Haus, pupils could purchase milk for 5 pfennigs or dine at school for 10 pfennigs.