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Marie Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg

Q495745, 10 Jun 1616 – Grabow, 1665

10 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 10 Jun 1616

    Born in Q495745

  2. 1638–1658

    2 children are born

  3. 1665

    Dies in Grabow

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Q495745.

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

The 1610s · Marie is born in Q495745

In the news1618–1623

The Kipper and Wipper Economic Crisis

Between 1618 and 1623, Germany suffered the Kipper and Wipper economic crisis, where rulers debased coins by reducing silver content, causing rapid inflation. This made it impossible for people with fixed incomes, such as teachers and pensioners, to afford basic living expenses.

At the table

Daily porridge served as the staple meal

Porridge was the primary daily meal, often cooked in large batches and reheated, leading to a tough consistency. Ordinary families ate it by reaching into a shared bowl with their hands.

What people wore

Standardized Outfits for the Poor

Charity donations in Nuremberg provided the poor with a standardized annual outfit, including a black woollen coat, waistcoat, stockings, hat, white linen shirt, and shoes, which remained unchanged for centuries.

Getting around

Walking and riding were primary modes of travel

Most ordinary people traveled on foot, taking 20 to 40 kilometers per day, while wealthier individuals rode horses or traveled in carriages.

Work

Common roles included farmers and servants

Most people were village farmers, ranging from those owning enough land to sustain a family to smallholders who relied on additional wage labor, spinning, or weaving to survive. Others worked as life-cycle servants, such as farmhands and maids, who lived with an employer and provided labor in exchange for bed and board.

Music

Town Pipers and Their Daily Music

Town pipers, or Stadtpfeifer, were essential figures who performed at weddings, festivals, and church services using a variety of instruments like cornetts, sackbuts, and crumhorns. They also served as city watchmen, playing brass fanfares from towers to mark the time or announce events.

Daily life

Shared living spaces under one roof

Rural families often lived in timber-framed houses under the same roof as their livestock, sharing space with multiple generations and servants. Living areas were often dark and smoky due to open hearths without chimneys, with light provided by small windows or simple peep-holes.