Elisabeth Prinzessin von Preußen

What people wore

Festive attire and heated ruffles

For feast days, women wore black cashmere or silk dresses with a white ruffle at the collar that was permanently set into waves using a heated iron.

Daily life

Child labor and rudimentary schooling conditions

Children in rural areas were often tasked with labor, such as preparing and binding daily bundles of fuel for the household fire, a chore that frequently left their hands bleeding. Schooling was frequently held in the teacher's house, where the teacher was often a poorly paid local craftsman.

Work

Long, demanding days for workers

A weaver's family could start work at 4 a.m. and continue until night, while farm servants (Gesinde) were legally required to submit to their employer's will, sometimes working 16 hours a day in summer. Their diet was often monotonous, frequently consisting only of chicory coffee and potatoes.

Music

The noisy brummtopf folk instrument

The brummtopf was a peculiar noise-making instrument used by groups of young people during winter festivities; it was made of a small wooden barrel covered with calfskin and played by rubbing horsehair strands inserted into the skin with wet hands.

At the table

Potato schnapps among common men

Potato schnapps was a popular and widespread drink among common men in East Prussia, so much so that some would sell their last chicken to afford it.

Getting around

Railways revolutionized travel speeds

The emergence of railways in the 1840s revolutionized travel, drastically reducing journey times compared to stagecoaches. For instance, the Cologne-Minden route, which previously took over 60 hours by coach, could be covered in 9 hours by train by 1847.

What it cost

Potato prices caused hunger and riots

In April 1847, the price of five pounds of potatoes rose to five silver groschen, which equaled half of a typical daily wage in Berlin.