In the news1717
Christmas flood kills 11,000 people
A major storm surge on Christmas claimed over 11,000 lives along the German North Sea coast.
Brunswick, 1 Aug 1713 – Brunswick, 26 Mar 1780
9 facts2 sources
1 Aug 1713
Born in Brunswick
1735–1746
3 children are born
26 Mar 1780
Dies in Brunswick, aged 66
He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Brunswick.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1717
A major storm surge on Christmas claimed over 11,000 lives along the German North Sea coast.
Getting around
River Travel by Ordinari Boats
Water transport was often more cost-effective; for example, the Ordinari boat from Regensburg to Vienna took at least a week to cover about 450 kilometers. Passengers often spent their nights on land during these boat journeys.
At the table
Simple meals of porridge, soup, and stew
Ordinary families commonly consumed grain-based porridges and soups for breakfast and dinner, while a hearty stew served as the main midday meal. Meat was expensive, so many households reserved it for special occasions like a Sunday roast.
In Europe · 1700–1721The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.
What people wore
Limited Wardrobes and Sunday Best
For ordinary people, clothing was strictly divided into everyday wear and Sunday best, as a person's wardrobe was very limited three hundred years ago.
Music
Fiddlers earned Nickelgrosken at village celebrations
Fiddlers were central to village life and were paid for their services at weddings and parties with small coins known as Nickelgrosken.
Daily life
Simple and Frugal Home Interiors
Homes often had low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and floors made of stone or brick that were covered in sand. Rooms were sparsely furnished, and houses frequently lacked clocks, making time-keeping and domestic life simple and frugal.