Ferdinand Karl, Archduke of Austria-Este

What people wore

Cleanliness as a mark of respectability

By the mid-eighteenth century, even people in lower wealth tiers in Vienna typically owned enough shirts and shifts to change them at least twice a week. Clean white linen was considered the standard for judging personal morality and respectability.

Getting around

Coach vs. rail time (Vienna–Graz)

When rail travel was available, a journey from Vienna to Graz took nine hours, while a post coach took twenty-nine hours on the same route.

At the table

Common refreshment for poor women

Poor women who could not afford wine often drank water mixed with vinegar to quench their thirst.

Music

The Ländler and Early Viennese Waltz

Around 1750, the Ländler, also known as the Schleifer, served as a popular country dance for couples and provided the foundation for the later Viennese waltz.

Daily life

Shared urban living in cramped quarters

For ordinary residents, homes were often cramped rented rooms in multi-story buildings where daily tasks like cooking, sleeping, and working were all performed in the same limited space. Families relied on neighborhood wells and fountains for water and had to manage heating through tiled stoves that required constant attention.

What it cost

Wedding music cost 33 gulden in 1755

In 1755, a wealthy merchant family paid 33 gulden for music for a wedding, which is equivalent to a significant luxury expense compared to everyday food costs.