Christine of Saxony

What people wore

Everyday and Sunday Best Clothing

Most people owned at least two sets of clothing, keeping one for everyday work and another cleaner set for church and social events. Clothing was frequently patched and mended, with garments and good linen undergarments often bequeathed to heirs.

Daily life

Small, dark peasant homes housing livestock

Ordinary peasant homes were typically small, dark, two-room huts made from materials like mud and straw, often featuring dirt floors and thatched roofs with few or no windows to keep out the cold. In many households, it was common to bring livestock inside during the winter to keep them warm and safe.

Work

Late night threshing work in autumn

In rural areas, farmers threshing grain by hand in autumn worked until 10 or 11 p.m. to finish the task, often consuming schnapps to sustain themselves.

Music

Popular Wedding and Civic Musicians

In German cities around 1500, a common ensemble for weddings was the pipe and drum, with performers sometimes earning half a guilder for their services. These musicians were frequently hired alongside or to alternate with town pipers (Stadtpfeifer) who played brass instruments like shawms and trombones.

At the table

Laborer purchasing power in 1500s Augsburg

In Augsburg, a day laborer's daily wage could purchase six pounds of meat or seven eggs, a peck of peas, and a quart of wine, alongside bread.

Getting around

Traveling primarily on foot

Most ordinary people traveled on foot, covering about 20 to 30 kilometers per day, as they could not afford horses or carriages.

What it cost

Soldier pay and equipment costs

A Landsknecht soldier earned 4 gulden per month in 1507, but had to pay for his own food, clothing, and equipment, which included a full suit of armor costing 16 gulden.