Eberhardine Katharine von Württemberg-Stuttgart

At the table

Avoiding Contaminated Water

Water was rarely drunk, as people relied on beer or watered-down vinegar for safer hydration. Often, drinking water was avoided entirely due to the high risk of contamination from nearby cesspools.

What people wore

Men's fashion favored comfort and leather boots

During the Thirty Years' War, men's fashion shifted toward comfort, featuring high-waisted doublets and wide, knee-length breeches that fell in loose folds. Soldiers and educated men alike popularized large leather boots that reached above the knee, which were often worn turned down or slouching.

Getting around

Travel speeds for foot passengers

Most travelers were foot passengers who could expect to cover about 100 kilometers in a week, accounting for rest days and potential travel obstacles like bad weather or floods.

What it cost

Cost of common household goods

Around 1650, basic household goods included a measure of wine for 7.5 groschen and a pound of butter for 4 groschen.

Music

Musical Cradle Devotions and Festive Processions

During Christmas, Jesuits organized cradle devotions, where a constructed cradle containing a figure of the Christ child was rocked to the sound of music. Music was also used in processions, often involving bells, trumpets, military drums, and even the discharge of muskets and cannons.

Daily life

Dark and smoky rural homes

Rural homes often lacked chimneys, causing smoke from open hearths to fill living areas with poor air. Many houses were dark, with only small windows or simple peep-holes.