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Johann Friedrich zu Solms-Laubach

Sonnewalde, 1 Mar 1625 – Laubach, 10 Dec 1696

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1 Mar 1625

    Born in Sonnewalde

  2. 13 Apr 1670

    A daughter is born

  3. 10 Dec 1696

    Dies in Laubach, aged 71

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Sonnewalde.

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

The 1620s · Johann is born in Sonnewalde

In the news1618–1648

Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

At the table

Eating Porridge with Hands

Grain porridge was the most important hot meal, often made of oats or millet and reheated until thick. Families typically ate it by taking pieces directly from a central bowl with their hands.

What people wore

Men's fashion favored comfort and leather boots

During the Thirty Years' War, men's fashion shifted toward comfort, featuring high-waisted doublets and wide, knee-length breeches that fell in loose folds. Soldiers and educated men alike popularized large leather boots that reached above the knee, which were often worn turned down or slouching.

Getting around

River travel offered rapid downstream movement

Traveling downstream by boat was the fastest method, sometimes covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours under optimal conditions.

What it cost

Cost of footwear around 1620

A pair of men's shoes in 1620 Schaumburg cost 17 Mariengroschen, and in 1622 Pomerania, simple shoes cost 20 Schilling.

Music

Weekly Music in Villages

In rural villages, musicians and singers performed church music every Sunday, and they even held dance events in local taverns.

Daily life

Limited and seasonal schooling for children

There was no general compulsory education, and rural schools were often only attended in winter because children were required to work on farms during the summer. Instruction focused primarily on memorizing the Bible to learn how to pray and read scripture, with writing and arithmetic taught only afterward if at all.