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Maximilian Erasmus, Graf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf

Vienna, 29 Jun 1633 – Nuremberg, 21 Jul 1672

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 29 Jun 1633

    Born in Vienna

  2. 23 Sep 1669

    A daughter is born

  3. 21 Jul 1672

    Dies in Nuremberg, aged 39

During his lifetime

He lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Vienna.

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

The 1630s · Maximilian is born in Vienna

In the news1631

Massive abandonment of farmsteads in 1631

A 1631 survey of the Archduchy of Austria below the Enns found 8,980 farmsteads abandoned due to war and religious pressures.

Getting around

Difficult road conditions caused frequent repairs

Travelers faced rough, unpaved roads where wagon axles often required frequent mechanical adjustments during a single trip.

In the news1618–1648

Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

Daily life

Kitchen as shared living space

The kitchen served as the primary living and heating space in farmhouses, and at night, it was common to shelter poultry indoors to keep them safe.

What people wore

Women's Daily and Festive Headwear

Peasant women often wore their hair in two braids pinned with a broad needle and kept a straw hat with a black border on their heads throughout the entire day, even during meals. For Sundays and feasts, women upgraded their attire with lace-trimmed caps and felt hats.

Music

Musical instruments at noble gatherings

At social gatherings of the nobility, people entertained themselves by dancing, playing games, and performing music on pairs of instruments such as the lute and viol, or cornetto and drum.

At the table

Festive deep-fried treats

For celebrations, families might enjoy deep-fried pastries like Nonnenfürzle, which were made from dough cooked in hot fat and dusted with sugar.