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Frederick William III of Prussia

Potsdam, 3 Aug 1770 – Berlin, 7 Jun 1840

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born3 Aug 1770, Potsdamnot verified1 source
  • MarriedAuguste von Harrachnot verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Electoror King of Prussia, 1797–1840 · margravenot verified1 source
  • Titlemargraveor King of Prussia, 1797–1840 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Prussia, 1797–1840or Prince-Elector · margravenot verified1 source
  • Died7 Jun 1840, Berlinnot verified1 source
  • MotherFrederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadtnot verified1 source
  • FatherFriedrich Wilhelm II of Prussianot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 3 Aug 1770

    Born in Potsdam

  2. 1795–1809

    9 children are born

  3. 1797–1840

    King of Prussia

  4. 7 Jun 1840

    Dies in Berlin, aged 69

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 9

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Potsdam.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1770s · Frederick is born in Potsdam

In the news1770–1771

Migration during the 1770-71 famine

During the great famines of 1770–71, peasants from other parts of Germany migrated to Prussia where food supplies were more accessible.

Getting around

Slow speeds on poor road networks

Stagecoaches traveled at a walking pace of only 4 to 5 km/h, stopping every 15 to 30 kilometers at relay stations to change horses and passengers. Due to the poor conditions of the roads, these journeys were often exhausting and prone to accidents.

In Europe1772–1795

Poland is partitioned

Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland among themselves in three steps until, in 1795, it vanished from the map for 123 years.

Daily life

Cooking on open hearths without ovens

Ordinary people typically relied on open fires or basic hearths without ovens for cooking, as these were common in the region before the introduction of modern stoves around 1800. Daily meals were seasonal and often consisted of dairy products, grain-based dishes, and limited meat, with lard being used extensively.

What people wore

Practical Work Clothes for Women

Working women wore practical, loose-fitting clothing like an apron, headscarf, and cap, with shorter skirts and wide sleeves to allow free arm movement while handling water, fire, or animals.

Music

Everyday singing in homes and workrooms

Singing was a common activity in daily life, often performed without sheet music while working, such as during textile work in spinning rooms, or at church services and social gatherings.

At the table

Kitchen tools for open fire cooking

To save time while cooking soups, housewives used hooks with a sawtooth design to quickly adjust the height of pots over the fire. They also used a specialized iron tool called a Cold Hand to remove hot pots because oven mitts were not yet in use.