Countess Christina Hamilton

What people wore

Wardrobe Requirements for Amager Women

Women in the Amager region needed at least 11 different aprons to have a proper outfit for every occasion.

Getting around

Travel across frozen waters

In severe winters, when the Great Belt froze, mail and passengers were transported in large boats that men pulled across the ice.

At the table

Working-class diet of bread and fat

Working-class families often economized by subsisting on bread spread with fat, known as fedtemadder, when they could not afford warm meals.

Music

Weddings and musician payment in 19th-century Denmark

In the late 19th century, weddings were the most important festive occasions, often lasting two to three days with dancing until dawn. Guests might pay the musicians 3 to 6 marks per plate during these celebrations.

Daily life

Spirits used for cleaning

Because spirits were inexpensive, they were commonly used for household chores, such as washing children's feet when they became dark from black stockings or cleaning windows.

What it cost

Earnings from making fire-lighters

A mother could earn 25 øre by making 500 small fire-lighters, which was just enough to buy a quarter of a loaf of rye bread and 2 kg of fat.