Archduchess Maria of Austria

At the table

Beer as a daily necessity

Water was rarely drunk because it was often unsanitary, so people consumed diluted, low-alcohol beer as a primary beverage, even giving it to children. Weak beer, sometimes called patoky, also served as a nutritious, energy-providing soup ingredient for the lower classes.

What people wore

Guild enforcement of rural fashion

Rural men wore practical coats like the peasant kytle or old-Frankish skirts, often made of wool cloth in natural gray tones, though colors like clove or brick-red were also popular. If professional tailors discovered women or others sewing such garments without guild authorization, they often confiscated the items and pursued legal action.

Getting around

The high cost of wagon travel

In 1516, traveling by hired wagon from Dvur Kralove to Prague cost a passenger 20 Meissen groschen, plus 10 groschen for the driver's tip and 30 groschen for meals, totaling one kopa (60 groschen). This was a significant expense, considering an annual teacher's salary was 16 kopa.

What it cost

Income of a Hessian foot soldier

A foot soldier hired to serve the Landgrave of Hesse could earn an annual salary of 40 gulden, along with two sets of court clothing.

Music

Role of school choirs

Schoolboys from parish churches were a staple of musical life, frequently performing polyphonic compositions for both religious and public state occasions.

Daily life

Natural Light and Heating Constraints

In 16th-century Prague, households used small windows to help keep rooms warm, which limited the amount of natural light indoors. To provide illumination, people relied on candles and lamps in addition to daylight.