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Prince Franz of Thurn und Taxis

Regensburg, 2 Mar 1852 – Luxembourg, 4 May 1897

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 2 Mar 1852

    Born in Regensburg

  2. 4 May 1897

    Dies in Luxembourg, aged 45

Family

See the tree

Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Regensburg.

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

The 1850s · Prince is born in Regensburg

In the news1859

First trains connect Luxembourg to neighbors

The first railway lines connected Luxembourg City to Thionville and Arlon, ending the country's economic isolation.

Getting around

Limitations of mail-coach travel

Before railways became dominant, mail-coaches reached speeds of 8 to 12.7 km/h, but their daily range was limited to around 100 kilometers due to frequent stops, meals, and border controls.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and kindergarten costs

Children were required to attend school from ages six to fourteen, often carrying books in long tin satchels. In model kindergartens, families could pay fees between sixpence and three shillings a month for care and meals.

What people wore

Protecting Skin from the Sun

Women wore a white, coif-like cap on weekdays to protect their skin from the sun, as being suntanned was not considered fashionable.

Music

Music and dance at public festivals

Popular festivities like shooting festivals and local fairs were central to social life, while the educated classes attended balls, concerts, and theater performances.

At the table

Potatoes and Bread as Staples

Working-class families relied heavily on potatoes and rye bread as their staple diet, often eating potatoes two or three times a day. Eggs and butter were considered expensive luxuries, with some workers rarely, if ever, having access to an egg.