Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg

At the table

Monotonous daily diet of the poor

For ordinary families, daily meals were monotonous and consisted mostly of soups, porridges made from oats or barley, pulses like peas or beans, and cabbage. Meat was rarely consumed by the common people, who relied on these staples for their daily nutrition.

What people wore

Exclusive aristocratic symbols

Wearing the color red or sporting a feather on a hat were considered highly elitist practices reserved for the aristocracy and prohibited for the rural population.

Getting around

River travel was faster than land transport.

Travel by boat downstream was the fastest method, with one vessel type covering 450 kilometers from Regensburg to Vienna in at least a week. Boats could reach up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours under optimal downstream conditions.

What it cost

Weekly Worker Expenses

In the 17th century, a worker required about 100 Kreuzer per week to cover basic necessities like grain, meat, fat, and candles for his family.

Music

Domestic music in early 17th-century Austria

The Linzer Orgeltabulatur, compiled between 1611 and 1613, contains 108 pieces that were intended for domestic recreation on the regal, a small reed-organ, rather than for church use.

Daily life

Children treated as adults

Children were typically treated like small adults and were expected to emulate adult behavior as they learned crafts and chores from their parents.