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Albert Frederick of Prussia

Kaliningrad, 29 Apr 1553 – Primorsk, 27 Aug 1618

11 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 29 Apr 1553

    Born in Kaliningrad

  2. 1568–1618

    Duke of Prussia

  3. 1576–1587

    4 children are born

  4. 27 Aug 1618

    Dies in Primorsk, aged 65

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 4

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Kaliningrad.

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

The 1550s · Albert is born in Kaliningrad

In the news1550

Introduction of a new law code

In 1550, the government introduced the Sudebnik, a new code of laws that established standardized legal procedures for trials and investigations across the realm.

What it cost

Clothing costs in the 16th century

A pair of good boots or an elegant sheepskin coat could cost one or two florins, whereas a cap was much more affordable, with five available for a single florin.

Music

Instrumental music at the ducal court

Court musicians in Königsberg used specialized manuscripts, such as partbooks from c. 1558, for performing instrumental music with lutes and other instruments.

Daily life

Simple wooden homes with hearths

Ordinary homes were built of wood with straw roofs, sometimes featuring a namus, a dark house heated by an open hearth with stones.

Work

Long hours defined the working day

During the harvest season, the working day for those performing forced labor stretched from sunrise to sunset, while in winter, work typically lasted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Women were also required to complete specific tasks, such as spinning six pounds of flax (Hede) per year.

Getting around

Duration of long-distance journeys

Long-distance journeys were slow and highly variable; for instance, a trip between Reval and Lübeck typically took four weeks, but could extend to four months in winter.

At the table

Honey cakes shaped like animals and people

In the winter of 1397, citizens in Königsberg celebrated the lifting of the plague by baking honey cakes shaped like deer, rabbits, and people, which were hardened on warm oven tiles.