In the news1709
Great famine after the 1709 winter
A severe winter caused the Bodensee to freeze completely, leading to widespread crop failures and famine across Europe.
Gottorf Castle, 26 Nov 1706 – Saint Petersburg, 31 May 1727
8 facts2 sources
26 Nov 1706
Born in Gottorf Castle
1726–1727
Prince-bishop of Lübeck
31 May 1727
Dies in Saint Petersburg, aged 20
He lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Gottorf Castle.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1709
A severe winter caused the Bodensee to freeze completely, leading to widespread crop failures and famine across Europe.
What people wore
Sumptuary Laws Against Opulent Clothing
Authorities issued sumptuary laws to maintain social hierarchy, often banning lower classes from wearing gold, silver, pearls, silk, or costly furs, with violators risking fines or imprisonment.
Getting around
Slow Pace of Mail Coach Travel
Travel by mail coach was slow, moving at a walking pace of about 4-5 km/h. A journey from Nuremberg to Leipzig covered roughly 70 hours, and to Regensburg about 20 hours.
In Europe · 1701–1714War of the Spanish Succession. Europe’s powers fought for thirteen years over who would inherit the Spanish throne; a Bourbon kept it, and Britain gained Gibraltar.
In the news1700–1704
Between 1700 and 1704, the government reformed the monetary system, introducing copper coinage and reducing the silver content of the ruble to 28 grams to align with European standards.
Music
High fines for unauthorized trumpet playing
In the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, musicians who performed with unauthorized trumpets or kettledrums at public fairs or taverns faced a fine of fifty Reichsthaler.
Daily life
Simple and Frugal Home Interiors
Homes often had low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and floors made of stone or brick that were covered in sand. Rooms were sparsely furnished, and houses frequently lacked clocks, making time-keeping and domestic life simple and frugal.