Erwein Graf und Edler Herr von und zu Eltz gennant Faust von Stromberg

Getting around

Steamships outpaced land travel in the Adriatic

In the northern Adriatic, steamships offered a faster alternative to land travel, with the journey between Trieste and Koper taking 45 minutes, while the land route took two hours. By 1876, steamships operated regularly between Koper and Trieste three times a day, often offering discounts for children.

At the table

Boiling milk with heated stones

In rural areas, shepherds in mountain regions boiled milk by immersing stones heated in an open fire directly into wooden bowls of milk.

What people wore

Clothing as a silent social language

In Croatia during the mid-19th century, specific items of clothing served as a silent language, informing the community about a person's age, marital status, or life events. For instance, a young woman in Moslavina wearing a diadem-style headband signaled she was ready for marriage, while a Žumberak daughter-in-law switching to a discreetly embroidered white scarf indicated she had become a mother.

Music

Public street dancing traditions

At public street dances like the Christmas kolo, girls sang in a circle while the boys indicated their chosen partner by standing directly in front of them.

Daily life

Light and water sources

Lighting was extremely basic, involving handmade wooden splinters (luči) held by the youngest daughter-in-law during dinner, or small oil lamps, while water was hauled from wells by hand, often in wooden vessels called brentas.