Prince Maurice of the Netherlands

Daily life

Schooling and child labor

Children frequently left school around age 12 to begin working 12-hour days, though classes were often large, sometimes reaching 80 students. Rural children faced particular hardships, as bad weather and difficult paths often prevented them from attending school during the winter.

At the table

Potatoes as the working class staple

Potatoes became the primary food staple for the working class, often eaten at least twice a day with vinegar or mustard instead of fat.

What people wore

The multi-purpose apron

An apron, known as a 'schölk', was a versatile daily tool used not only to protect clothes but also to carry eggs, fruit, or harvest, wipe tables, and even dry children's tears. Women would roll up the bottom edge to create a convenient pouch for these everyday tasks.

Getting around

Costs and innovations in water transport

A skilled craftsman, earning about one guilder per day, could travel at most 20 kilometers by barge for his daily wage. Some faster barges, known as 'flying boats' or 'iron barges', were introduced in the 1820s and 1840s to compete with road transport.

What it cost

Diet of the laboring class

Potatoes were the main food for laborers, often eaten with vinegar and mustard, while meat was a luxury item that most workers could rarely afford. Wheat bread was too expensive due to taxes, so laborers typically ate rye bread or bread made from barley or potato flour.