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Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau

Dessau, 25 Dec 1833 – Königstein im Taunus, 24 Nov 1916

7 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 25 Dec 1833

    Born in Dessau

  2. 1852–1864

    5 children are born

  3. 24 Nov 1916

    Dies in Königstein im Taunus, aged 82

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 5

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Dessau.

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

The 1830s · Princess is born in Dessau

In the news1834

Zollverein customs union founded in 1834

The Zollverein was founded to eliminate customs duties between German states, fostering economic integration under Prussian leadership.

Getting around

Difficult and slow travel by stagecoach

Traveling by stagecoach in Prussia was often grueling and uncomfortable due to poorly maintained, unpaved roads and cramped, unsprung carriages. A journey from Berlin to Königsberg, spanning 565 kilometers, typically took ten to eleven days by post coach.

Around the world1832

Cholera spreads around the world

A cholera pandemic from India reached Europe and the Americas; cities learned the hard way about clean water and sewers.

Daily life

Homes heated by smoky, open hearths

Peasant homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open hearths that provided both light and heat while filling the living space with smoke. Small bundles of green pine brush, known as Kulelkes, were commonly used as fuel for these fires.

What people wore

Saving fabric with the Magsachte patch

Women saved money on expensive fabric by sewing a hidden patch of coarser linen, called a Magsachte, onto their dresses where it would be covered by an apron.

Music

Daily castle tower music in Königsberg

City tower musicians performed chorales daily from Königsberg's castle tower, such as 'Ich weiß mein Gott, daß all mein Tun' at 11 am and 'Nun ruhen alle Wälder' at 9 pm.

At the table

Potato schnapps among common men

Potato schnapps was a popular and widespread drink among common men in East Prussia, so much so that some would sell their last chicken to afford it.