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Count Alexander von der Mark

4 Jan 1779 – Berlin, 1 Aug 1787

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 4 Jan 1779

    Born

  2. 1 Aug 1787

    Dies in Berlin, aged 8

Family

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Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 2 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

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

The 1770s · Count is born

In the news1770–1771

Migration during the 1770-71 famine

During the great famines of 1770–71, peasants from other parts of Germany migrated to Prussia where food supplies were more accessible.

Getting around

Slow speeds on poor road networks

Stagecoaches traveled at a walking pace of only 4 to 5 km/h, stopping every 15 to 30 kilometers at relay stations to change horses and passengers. Due to the poor conditions of the roads, these journeys were often exhausting and prone to accidents.

In Europe1772–1795

Poland is partitioned

Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland among themselves in three steps until, in 1795, it vanished from the map for 123 years.

Daily life

Open Hearth Cooking and Pump Well Water

Cooking took place in the living room over an open fireplace or a masonry hearth with a recessed grate, using wood or brown coal for fuel. Drinking water was typically sourced from communal pump wells located in the village center.

What people wore

Men’s Sunday Black Coat

Working men typically wore a simple black coat called a Rock for their Sunday attire, which was usually fastened with hooks rather than buttons.

Music

Everyday singing in homes and workrooms

Singing was a common activity in daily life, often performed without sheet music while working, such as during textile work in spinning rooms, or at church services and social gatherings.

At the table

Beer and bread soups were common daily fare

For servants and laborers, meals often featured a weak top-fermented beer, similar to Berliner Weiße, and bread soaked in liquid, such as milk or whey.