Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria

What people wore

Typical attire of peasant men

Ordinary Austrian peasant men wore short dark-gray jackets with clasps, red waistcoats with spherical metal buttons, and black leather breeches.

Getting around

Slow boat transport on the Inn River

In 1745, a boat trip on the Inn River between Kufstein and Hall took eight days, requiring 50 to 60 horses for towing.

At the table

Beverages of the ordinary people

While the wealthy enjoyed wine, poorer women in Vienna often drank water mixed with vinegar to cool themselves during hot summers. By the 1730s, beer consumption was rising, and Viennese residents drank about three times as much wine as beer, though beer was increasingly becoming a staple drink.

Music

Trumpets and timpani dominated Viennese ceremonies

During the 1740s, trumpets and timpani were the most frequently documented instruments in Vienna, performing at royal festivals, university ceremonies, and significant church events.

Daily life

Separate kitchens and private livestock in households

Wealthy merchant households like the Spänglers in Salzburg maintained separate "common" and "good" kitchens to distinguish between daily cooking and the storage of expensive, prestigious tableware. They even kept chickens in their own courtyard to supplement food supplies bought at the city markets.

What it cost

Food prices in Vienna

In 1740, a kilogram of bread cost 2.61 Kreuzer, while a kilogram of beef cost 9.36 Kreuzer.