Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Dorothea Catherine Countess Palatine of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler

Bischwiller, 13 Jul 1634 – Neunkirchen, 7 Dec 1715

8 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 13 Jul 1634

    Born in Bischwiller

  2. 1651–1653

    2 children are born

  3. 7 Dec 1715

    Dies in Neunkirchen, aged 81

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Bischwiller.

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

The 1630s · Dorothea is born in Bischwiller

In the news1626–1632

Great plague outbreak kills one million

Between 1626 and 1632, a devastating plague outbreak killed approximately one million people, causing many towns to lose one-third to one-quarter of their inhabitants.

Getting around

Travelers on foot wore out shoes quickly

Ordinary people frequently traveled on foot, covering 20 to 30 kilometers a day, which meant they wore out a pair of shoes every two weeks.

In the news1631

First French newspaper is founded

Théophraste Renaudot founded La Gazette in 1631, which became the first newspaper in France.

Daily life

Schooling for children in the household

In many households, servants or parents ensured children received elementary education in reading, writing, and counting. Daily chores for servants included waking and dressing children and seeing that they got off to school.

What people wore

Daily attire of ordinary women

Ordinary women often wore corsets over a shirt, with a skirt and an apron for daily chores, while their clothing was predominantly colored in black, grey, and red.

Music

Court ballet and street performance culture

The ballet de cour featured masked performers in elaborate costumes, with dances often organized around complex themes from mythology or daily life. These courtly performances influenced the repertoire of street singers, who adapted elite airs for wider public audiences.

At the table

Wine and cider over water

Fermented drinks like wine or cider were preferred over water, which was often considered unhealthy or unsafe to drink. People frequently drank inferior quality wine known as piquette, although better wine could be purchased for popular celebrations for ten sous per pint.