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Marie Luise von Degenfeld

Strasbourg, 28 Nov 1634 – Friedrichsburg, 18 Mar 1677

9 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 28 Nov 1634

    Born in Strasbourg

  2. 1658–1675

    13 children are born

  3. 18 Mar 1677

    Dies in Friedrichsburg, aged 42

Family

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Parents

Partner

Children · 13

During her lifetime

She lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Strasbourg.

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

The 1630s · Marie is born in Strasbourg

In the news1630–1631

Great famine causes mass starvation

A series of continuous rains in 1630 led to widespread crop failures, causing a severe famine that lasted from August 1630 until May 1631 and caused massive demographic losses.

Getting around

Travelers on foot wore out shoes quickly

Ordinary people frequently traveled on foot, covering 20 to 30 kilometers a day, which meant they wore out a pair of shoes every two weeks.

In the news1626–1632

Great plague outbreak kills one million

Between 1626 and 1632, a devastating plague outbreak killed approximately one million people, causing many towns to lose one-third to one-quarter of their inhabitants.

Daily life

Living conditions in modest urban homes

Ordinary homes in cities were often tall, narrow buildings where upper floors were darker and difficult to heat, with limited light due to overhanging structures. A single room often served multiple purposes, including cooking, sleeping, and childcare.

What people wore

Daily attire of ordinary women

Ordinary women often wore corsets over a shirt, with a skirt and an apron for daily chores, while their clothing was predominantly colored in black, grey, and red.

Music

Popularity of drinking songs in 17th-century France

Drinking songs, or airs à boire, were a popular form of entertainment enjoyed by diverse social groups in cabarets and taverns. These songs were valued for their accessible melodies and seducing poetic themes, deeply rooted in the culture of intoxication.

At the table

Wine and cider over water

Fermented drinks like wine or cider were preferred over water, which was often considered unhealthy or unsafe to drink. People frequently drank inferior quality wine known as piquette, although better wine could be purchased for popular celebrations for ten sous per pint.