Archduchess Helene, Archduchess Ferdinand of Austria

Born Winhöring, 20 May 1937

5 facts1 source

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

Facts and their sources

Born20 May 1937, WinhöringTaken as verified1 source
FatherCount Karl Theodor of Toerring-JettenbachTaken as verified1 source
MotherPrincess Elizabeth of Greece and DenmarkTaken as verified1 source

A life in time

20 May 1937
Born in Winhöring

Family

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Parents

Partner

Archduke Ferdinand of AustriaHusband · 1918–2004

During her lifetime

She has lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Winhöring.

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

The 1930s · Archduchess is born in Winhöring

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.
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 singing and songs

Singing was a popular pastime, with groups like the Comedian Harmonists rising to fame and children frequently singing songs like Three Chinese with the Double Bass.

Daily life

Manual Housework and Modern Kitchens

Working-class households often lacked running warm water, requiring labor-intensive dishwashing using two basins, soda instead of soap, and drying by hand. In contrast, revolutionary designs like the Frankfurt kitchen introduced gas or electric stoves and hot water heaters to modernize and rationalize housework.