Axel von Fersen the Younger

Getting around

Winter Travel Advantage

Winter was the preferred time for long-distance travel and heavy transport, as frozen marshes, rivers, and lakes allowed for travel by sledge. In summer, poor and muddy roads made travel difficult, often forcing travelers to rely on boats or to complain about the miserable state of the roads.

Daily life

Multipurpose kitchen furniture

A bench in the kitchen served as a work table during the day and as a sleeping place for kitchen maids at night.

What people wore

Women's work and festive dress

Women’s everyday clothing included linen chemises and woollen skirts, sometimes featuring red cloth at the hem for a decorative touch. On feast days, women wore their finest attire, such as red skirts and blue jackets, and often layered multiple silk scarves around their necks when attending church.

Music

Church organist improvised dance tunes during service

In 1754, church organists improvised elegant musical interludes between the phrases of hymns, sometimes using melodies they had previously played at secular dances.

At the table

Stretching Flour with Bark and Chaff

Due to frequent grain shortages, people often mixed bark or chaff into their bread flour to make their supplies last longer. This practice was particularly common toward the end of spring when traditional grain reserves began to run out.