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Hedwig of Denmark

Frederiksborg Palace, 5 Aug 1581 – Castle Lichtenburg, 26 Nov 1641

9 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 5 Aug 1581

    Born in Frederiksborg Palace

  2. 26 Nov 1641

    Dies in Castle Lichtenburg, aged 60

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Frederiksborg Palace.

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

The 1580s · Hedwig is born in Frederiksborg Palace

In the news1583–1585

Deadly epidemic hits Copenhagen

A severe typhus-like epidemic hit Copenhagen in 1583, leading to an average of 46 deaths per day in August.

Getting around

Frequent carriage changes in winter

Travelers often had to change carriages every two to four miles in winter because coachmen were unwilling to travel far and horses tired quickly in the snow.

In the news1580–1581

Spanish Pip epidemic kills many

An infectious disease known locally as the Spanish Pip caused high mortality across the Nordic region, including killing a third of the population on Nordstrand.

Daily life

School children paid for funeral singing

Students from Latin schools, such as those in Copenhagen, would attend funerals to sing; for two lessons, the school was paid 1 old Daler, while the use of a high-quality English cloth over the deceased could increase the payment to 2.5 Dalers.

What people wore

Shoemaker workshop attire in 1583

In a 1583 stained-glass window from Odense, a master shoemaker is depicted in a tight doublet and hose with yellow trimmings and a matching yellow ruff. His workers, meanwhile, were shown wearing modest white linen shirts, black aprons, and pleated neck ruffs.

Music

Tower Musicians and Expensive Instruments

Tower musicians played daily signals for the city, including morning, midday, and evening sets, and were also hired for private events like weddings. Frederik II ordered two new silver kettledrums from a Kolding goldsmith, which cost over 4000 kroner.

At the table

Kale sustained families through winter

Kale was a vital vitamin source for ordinary people because it was the only vegetable that could survive outdoors all winter. Consequently, home gardens were often referred to as kale-yards.