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Prince Wilhelm, 5th Prince of Wied

Neuwied, 22 Aug 1845 – Neuwied, 22 Oct 1907

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

  • Born22 Aug 1845, Neuwiednot verified1 source
  • Titlemember of the Prussian House of Lordsnot verified1 source
  • Died22 Oct 1907, Neuwiednot verified1 source
  • FatherPrince Hermann, 4th Prince of Wiednot verified1 source
  • MotherMarie of Nassaunot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 22 Aug 1845

    Born in Neuwied

  2. 1872–1883

    6 children are born

  3. 22 Oct 1907

    Dies in Neuwied, aged 62

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 6

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Neuwied.

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

The 1840s · Prince is born in Neuwied

In the news1842

Freedom of movement laws in 1842

Prussia introduced new laws enabling greater freedom of movement and settlement for individuals not dependent on public relief.

What people wore

Saving fabric with the Magsachte patch

Women saved money on expensive fabric by sewing a hidden patch of coarser linen, called a Magsachte, onto their dresses where it would be covered by an apron.

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.

In the news1846–1847

Hunger crisis of 1846-1847

A severe potato blight caused a major hunger crisis across Europe, leading to unrest in Prussian markets and bakeries.

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.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Getting around

Railways revolutionized travel speeds

The emergence of railways in the 1840s revolutionized travel, drastically reducing journey times compared to stagecoaches. For instance, the Cologne-Minden route, which previously took over 60 hours by coach, could be covered in 9 hours by train by 1847.