Anna of Tyrol

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

Long school days and set schedule

In 1586, school days lasted seven hours, starting at 6:00 a.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m. in winter, with subjects including religion, reading, writing, and singing.

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

Couriers covered up to 150 kilometers daily

Professional couriers could cover up to 150 kilometers a day using a relay system of horses and riders established by the Taxis Post.

What it cost

Daily worker wages in Vienna

Between 1575 and 1599, a daily wage for a worker in Vienna typically ranged from 7 to 10 kreuzer.