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Elizabeth of Austria

Linz, 9 Jul 1526 – Vilnius, 15 Jun 1545

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 9 Jul 1526

    Born in Linz

  2. 1543–1545

    Consort of Poland

  3. 15 Jun 1545

    Dies in Vilnius, aged 18

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Linz.

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

The 1520s · Elizabeth is born in Linz

In the news1529

Great famine caused by crop failure

In 1529, a severe famine forced many people to make bread from acorns because the harvest failed due to wet and cold weather.

Getting around

Travel by horse or donkey

While wealthy individuals traveled on horseback, those wishing to show humility often chose to ride a donkey.

In the news1528

Grand Duke Orders Military Census 1528

In 1528, Grand Duke Sigismund the Old ordered a census of all horsemen in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to evaluate the state's total military potential of 5,730 servicemen.

Daily life

Fetching water daily

Water was scarce and had to be fetched from distant public fountains or wells, as only few houses had their own water supply.

What people wore

Strict dress codes regulated social classes

Common citizens and artisans were legally prohibited from wearing luxury items like velvet, silk, pearls, or gold; their wives were limited to a gold ring worth no more than five or six guilders. Jewish people were forced to wear a yellow ring on their jackets or caps to ensure they were publicly recognizable.

Music

Rules for Dancing and Singing

In 1533, the Strasbourg city council permitted round dances but specifically prohibited the singing of shameful songs while dancing. Singing in a round was a common practice, as shown by the dance song Ich spring an disem ringe.

At the table

Weekly routine of peasant meals

In rural areas, families frequently followed a set weekly schedule, such as Monday for dumplings, Tuesday for noodles, and Wednesday for strudels. Friday and Saturday were designated fast days in accordance with religious tradition.