Archduke Joseph Franz of Austria

What people wore

Frequent Shoe Replacement for Servants

Servants required a high number of shoes, with farmhands receiving six pairs and maids five pairs annually, due to poor, muddy paths and harsh working conditions.

Getting around

Mail coach travel discomfort

Travel by mail coach was uncomfortable, with passengers complaining of seats as hard as stone, and typically involved covering only about 37 kilometers per day.

At the table

Potatoes become a staple food

During the second half of the eighteenth century, the potato became a vital staple food for lower social classes in the Habsburg monarchy because it was cheap, easy to grow, and yielded more than cereals.

Music

The rise of the Viennese waltz

By the end of the 18th century, the waltz emerged in Vienna as a popular dance that involved couples gliding smoothly in circles in three-four time. Dancers were so passionate about this style that the authorities even considered banning faster variations, and it eventually replaced the minuet as the most fashionable dance.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling for children began in 1774

In 1774, Empress Maria Theresa made elementary education compulsory for children aged six to twelve, though many still learned at home. Schools were required to be separate from the teacher's living quarters to prevent domestic disturbances.

Work

Wage Disparities Between Genders

Female servants earned significantly less than men, with wages often between 5 and 10 gulden, while the highest-paid male stable hands received up to 24 gulden.