Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Maria Amalie von Zweibrücken

19 Oct 1622 – 11 Jun 1641

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 19 Oct 1622

    Born

  2. 11 Jun 1641

    Dies, aged 18

Family

See the tree

Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 3 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 1620s · Maria is born

In the news1618–1648

Destruction of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648, caused a demographic catastrophe where roughly one-third of urban residents and two-fifths of the rural population perished. Soldiers and camp followers frequently destroyed crops and seized food, leading to widespread famine and forcing villagers to abandon their land.

At the table

Daily porridge served as the staple meal

Porridge was the primary daily meal, often cooked in large batches and reheated, leading to a tough consistency. Ordinary families ate it by reaching into a shared bowl with their hands.

What people wore

Standardized Outfits for the Poor

Charity donations in Nuremberg provided the poor with a standardized annual outfit, including a black woollen coat, waistcoat, stockings, hat, white linen shirt, and shoes, which remained unchanged for centuries.

Getting around

River Travel Was Often the Fastest Option

Traveling by boat downstream on rivers like the Danube was the fastest method, sometimes covering up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours.

What it cost

Cost of footwear around 1620

A pair of men's shoes in 1620 Schaumburg cost 17 Mariengroschen, and in 1622 Pomerania, simple shoes cost 20 Schilling.

Music

Versatile Town Instruments

Town musicians often played versatile instruments like the cornett, a wooden instrument with a sweet, singing tone, which was used for indoor and outdoor performances.

Daily life

Seasonal and variable schooling

Children's schooling was not mandatory and often seasonal; for example, in Isny, lessons could include math, music, and Latin, with some students having four different teachers throughout the day. In many areas, summer schooling was rare as children were required to work on farms.