Erika Patzek

Getting around

Slow Steamboats and Public Distrust

Steamboats like the Egil were surprisingly slow for towing timber, averaging only two knots, meaning a trip could take up to 30 days. People often distrusted wood-fired steamboats, fearing they would catch fire or scare away fish.

At the table

Affordable meat and staple snacks

Knackwurst sausages were a treat for some workers, available at markets for 25 öre for three. While meat was often scarce, other items like crispbread were staples across all social classes.

What people wore

Walking barefoot to preserve shoes

To save their shoes, people often walked barefoot from spring until late autumn, carrying their shoes and putting them on only when nearing the church.

Music

Widespread popularity of the fiddle

Although new instruments like the accordion and brass ensembles grew in popularity, the fiddle remained a widely played instrument, often found in almost every farmhouse by the turn of the century.

Daily life

Cramped urban living conditions

Poor families often lived in a single room, sharing it with boarders to cover rent, while water had to be carried up stairs and toilets were located outdoors.