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Princess Helena of Nassau

Wiesbaden, 12 Aug 1831 – Bad Pyrmont, 27 Oct 1888

7 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born12 Aug 1831, Wiesbadenor 18 Aug 1831Records disagree1 source
  • Died27 Oct 1888, Bad Pyrmontnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 12 Aug 1831

    Born in Wiesbaden

  2. 1854–1873

    7 children are born

  3. 27 Oct 1888

    Dies in Bad Pyrmont, aged 57

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 7

During her lifetime

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

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

The 1830s · Princess is born in Wiesbaden

In the news1834

Zollverein customs union founded in 1834

The Zollverein was founded to eliminate customs duties between German states, fostering economic integration under Prussian leadership.

Getting around

Difficult and slow travel by stagecoach

Traveling by stagecoach in Prussia was often grueling and uncomfortable due to poorly maintained, unpaved roads and cramped, unsprung carriages. A journey from Berlin to Königsberg, spanning 565 kilometers, typically took ten to eleven days by post coach.

At the table

Potato schnapps among common men

Potato schnapps was a popular and widespread drink among common men in East Prussia, so much so that some would sell their last chicken to afford it.

Photography is born. The daguerreotype was presented in Paris: for the first time a face or a street could be kept exactly as it looked.Around the world · 1839

Photography is born. The daguerreotype was presented in Paris: for the first time a face or a street could be kept exactly as it looked.

Unknown · public domain

What people wore

Head-carried baskets with embroidered rings

Deliverers carried their goods in round white baskets called Mange on their heads, supported by embroidered cloth rings that served as both cushions and decorative accessories.

Music

The noisy brummtopf folk instrument

The brummtopf was a peculiar noise-making instrument used by groups of young people during winter festivities; it was made of a small wooden barrel covered with calfskin and played by rubbing horsehair strands inserted into the skin with wet hands.

Daily life

Homes heated by smoky, open hearths

Peasant homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open hearths that provided both light and heat while filling the living space with smoke. Small bundles of green pine brush, known as Kulelkes, were commonly used as fuel for these fires.