Marie Therese Prinzessin von und zu Liechtenstein

News and letters

Saturday morning queues for newspapers

Newspapers were in short supply, and people often stood in queues starting at 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays to ensure they could buy preferred titles before they sold out.

What people wore

Home Sewing and Knitting as a Necessity

Due to a severe lack of fashionable clothing, many women sewed, knitted, or crocheted their own garments, often using the 'Vkus' pattern service to create outfits at home.

At the table

Home farming to counter food shortages

To cope with food shortages and tight budgets, families often raised their own animals; for instance, one family started keeping laying hens in 1954 to reduce the high retail cost of eggs.

At the table

Flour and cottage cheese as staples

Due to limited access to meat, households relied heavily on affordable flour-based meals like dumplings and buns, while cottage cheese was recommended as a primary protein substitute.

Music

Festivals and community traditions

In many communities, people celebrated traditional holidays like harvest feasts, carnival, and Christmas by organizing carolling and dance events as social activities.

Work

Average work shift at cooperative farms

In 1972, a permanent worker at a socialist cooperative farm (JZD) worked an average of 2,106 hours across 239 days, meaning an average daily shift of about 8.5 hours.