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Albrecht Graf von Hohenau

4 Apr 1882 – 14 Jan 1966

9 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 4 Apr 1882

    Born

  2. 14 Jan 1966

    Dies, aged 83

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

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

The 1880s · Albrecht is born

In the news1883

First national health insurance introduced

Germany became the first country to introduce a national social insurance system with the approval of a worker's health insurance plan.

Getting around

City carriage travel rates

Local carriage travel in cities like Barmen and Elberfeld was common, with a non-stop ride costing 50 Pfennig for up to two people, or 1 Mark for a half-hour ride.

At the table

Meat was a luxury for working families

In working-class households, meat—often cheap sausage or ground meat—was a luxury, frequently reserved for Sunday meals, and sometimes stretched with breadcrumbs to make meat-like dishes like fake rabbit. Men, seen as the primary providers, often received the largest portions of meat, while wives and children ate significantly less.

The “Russian flu”. A flu pandemic travelled the world by rail and steamship in a few months, killing about a million people.Around the world · 1889–1890

The “Russian flu”. A flu pandemic travelled the world by rail and steamship in a few months, killing about a million people.

Unknown · CC BY 4.0

What people wore

Rural and urban wedding attire customs

In rural areas, brides traditionally wore black dresses that could be reused for other festive occasions, while white wedding dresses became popular in cities late in the century. Brides traditionally wore a white veil with a myrtle wreath as a symbol of virginity.

Music

Growth of amateur music societies

Community music-making was popular among the rising middle class, leading to the widespread founding of singing societies and amateur orchestras.

Daily life

Access to running water varied by class

Working-class homes often lacked running water, requiring water to be heated in cooking pots, while wealthier, modern homes featured hot-water heaters and running water in the kitchen and bathroom.