Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Altenburg, 31 Aug 1871 – Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, 22 Mar 1955

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 31 Aug 1871

    Born in Altenburg

  2. 1899–1905

    4 children are born

  3. 22 Mar 1955

    Dies in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, aged 83

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 4

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Altenburg.

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

The 1870s · Ernst is born in Altenburg

In the news1873

Economic crash triggers long crisis

The Panic of 1873 began with a stock market crash, triggering a period of economic hardship known as the Great Depression.

What people wore

Distinctive vests signaled marital status in Betzingen

In Betzingen, married men wore black velvet vests, while unmarried men wore red cloth vests with twelve silver buttons. Bachelors also traditionally displayed a red handkerchief from their pocket when searching for a bride.

Getting around

Railway travel times by 1873

By 1873, railway travel had become the standard for longer distances, such as the 4 1/2 to 8-hour journey from Cassel to Frankfort on the Main or the 4 1/2 to 5-hour trip from Hanover to Hamburg.

The Franco-Prussian War and a united Germany. Prussia defeated France, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.In Europe · 1870–1871

The Franco-Prussian War and a united Germany. Prussia defeated France, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Anton von Werner · public domain

In the news1871

The German Empire is proclaimed

The German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, uniting various states under Kaiser Wilhelm I.

Music

Growth of amateur music societies

Community music-making was popular among the rising middle class, leading to the widespread founding of singing societies and amateur orchestras.

Daily life

Compulsory primary education was six hours daily

Children attended primary school for six hours daily, often sitting four to a bench; primary education became free of charge in 1891.