Sophie Dorothee of Württemberg

What people wore

Everyday Undergarments of Women

Fashionable women wore a white, long, and wide shirt called a domieszka as everyday undergarment, while young women often did not wear panties, leaving them for older generations. These shifts were crafted from materials like Dutch linen, muslin, or cambric, and decorated with lace and embroidery.

Getting around

Travel duration between Dresden and Warsaw

A typical journey between Dresden and Warsaw took 14 to 16 days, though royal messengers could cover the roughly 650 km distance in as little as 50 hours.

At the table

Warm beer breakfast drink with eggs

A common breakfast drink for Poles, as noted by contemporary observers, consisted of warm beer mixed with sugar, ginger, and eggs.

Music

Dance styles in Königsberg during the 1700s

During the mid-18th century in Königsberg, balls featured minuets and gavottes, and popular masquerades included polonaises and quadrilles.

Daily life

Hard Labor: Preparing Winter Fuel

In some rural areas, families bundled green pine branches into small, straw-tied packages called Kulelkes to fuel their wide ovens during the winter. A child might be required to chop and tie nine of these bundles every evening after school to ensure the home remained heated.

What it cost

Fluctuating price of rye bread grain

In Berlin, a rye bushel (Scheffel, approx. 40kg) typically cost 19 to 20 Groschen, but rose to over 2 Taler during the hunger year of 1771.