Archduke Stephen, Palatine of Hungary

What people wore

Daily workwear and seasonal layers

On weekdays, men commonly wore linen trousers called gatya and simple laced sandals made of leather or fabric, switching to boots only for festive occasions. In winter, they added protective garments like the sheepskin suba cloak or a heavy frieze coat known as a szűr.

Getting around

Difficult travel on poor roads

Poor road conditions in Hungary often meant that travel was slow and physically demanding, with wagons sometimes covering only three kilometers a day in bad weather.

At the table

Eight-course wedding banquets

Wedding banquets often featured an eight-course menu, including beef soup, boiled meat with horseradish sauce, cabbage with pork, and various porridges or cakes. Coffee was sometimes served to special guests, serving as a sign of affluence.

Music

Rural Dances and Church Traditions

In rural areas, villagers often gathered for Sunday dances in taverns or homes, where they hired local musicians to play instruments like the violin or tambura. During Christmas church services, local traditions included the Pastorella, a genre that frequently incorporated rustic instruments like the herdsman’s horn to depict nativity scenes.

Daily life

Kitchen hearth and essential staples

Cooking was centered around a large open brick stove with an overhanging chimney, where an enormous kettle was suspended over a fire fueled by wood, turf, or peat. Lard and melted butter were essential staples for cooking national dishes, and households often kept large supplies of these fats in their private storehouses.

What it cost

Cost of Necessities

Basic food and clothing prices included bread at 30 centimes, meat at 70 centimes per pound, and a pair of shoes for 5 francs in 1805.