Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria

At the table

Common beverages of the period

Beer was the common daily drink, having completely replaced mead in many areas by 1500, while apple and pear cider (Most) was also traditional. Wine was typically reserved for the upper classes and official gatherings.

What people wore

Cloth functioned as valuable currency

In the 16th century, cloth was so valuable that it was often used as a form of currency to pay workers. Because clothing was expensive, it was rarely discarded and instead circulated through society via pawning, second-hand markets, and inheritance.

Getting around

Fast travel via river boats

Travelers used rivers for faster journeys, covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours when moving downstream by boat.

What it cost

Vienna wages and food prices in 1525

In 1525, a daily laborer in Vienna earned 6.83 Kreuzer, while a kilogram of bread cost 0.58 Kreuzer and a kilogram of beef cost 1.39 Kreuzer.

Music

Paying Musicians for Weddings

City wedding regulations in 1489 set specific fees for musicians, such as two guilders for brass and wind players or half a guilder for bagpipers, fiddlers, and drummers. Status often dictated which musicians could be hired for celebrations.

Daily life

Dark and smoky homes

Homes were dark, cold, and smoky, often featuring very small windows that provided little daylight and lacking chimneys for the open fires used for cooking.