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Frederick of Nassau-Weilburg

Metz, 26 Apr 1640 – Weilburg, 8 Sep 1675

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 26 Apr 1640

    Born in Metz

  2. 23 Jun 1664

    A son is born

  3. 8 Sep 1675

    Dies in Weilburg, aged 35

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Metz.

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

The 1640s · Frederick is born in Metz

In the news1648–1653

The Fronde Civil Wars (1648–1653)

The Fronde, a series of civil wars between 1648 and 1653, led to food scarcity, high taxes, and fighting that caused the king to flee the capital.

Getting around

Carriages were mostly for the wealthy

While wealthy travelers used private carriages, these vehicles were unaffordable for most people, who relied on walking or slower, less comfortable public coaches.

In the news1618–1648

Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

Daily life

Schooling for children in the household

In many households, servants or parents ensured children received elementary education in reading, writing, and counting. Daily chores for servants included waking and dressing children and seeing that they got off to school.

What people wore

Clothing for feast days vs daily life

Common villagers typically wore the same basic garments daily, while the more prosperous members of the community had specific outfits reserved for Sundays and feast days.

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

Stale bread soaked in soup

Ordinary families relied heavily on a bread-based diet, often consuming stale loaves by soaking them in liquid to make soup. Because bread was baked in large batches to last weeks, it was kept dense and sturdy.