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.
Pillnitz, 8 Aug 1832 – Pillnitz, 15 Oct 1904
8 facts1 source
8 Aug 1832
Born in Pillnitz
1860–1875
8 children are born
15 Oct 1904
Dies in Pillnitz, aged 72
He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Pillnitz.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1834
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.
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.
Around the world · 1839Photography is born. The daguerreotype was presented in Paris: for the first time a face or a street could be kept exactly as it looked.
What people wore
Festive attire and heated ruffles
For feast days, women wore black cashmere or silk dresses with a white ruffle at the collar that was permanently set into waves using a heated iron.
Music
The 1833 Prussian Music Festival in Marienburg
In 1833, the first Prussian Music Festival took place in Marienburg, featuring over 200 participants including 49 singers and 143 musicians and singers from across East and West Prussia.
Daily life
Child labor and rudimentary schooling conditions
Children in rural areas were often tasked with labor, such as preparing and binding daily bundles of fuel for the household fire, a chore that frequently left their hands bleeding. Schooling was frequently held in the teacher's house, where the teacher was often a poorly paid local craftsman.