Maria Anna of Austria

Music

Common rural dance instruments

In the seventeenth-century countryside, ordinary people primarily used bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies for dance music, before the violin became established as a popular instrument later on.

At the table

Coffee substitute for 1 kreuzer

For 1 kreuzer, working-class people could buy a bowl of roasted barley drink sweetened with syrup, which served as an affordable substitute for expensive coffee.

Daily life

Life in the smoke kitchen

Cooking happened in smoke kitchens where food was prepared over open fires, often sharing space with poultry kept inside at night.

What people wore

Weather-protecting Loden cloak with personal initials

For protection against the weather, rural people used a Wetterfleck, a rectangular Loden wool garment with a head opening, which reached the belt in front and the back of the knees in the back. These were often customized with red or green fabric hearts and the owner's initials on the chest.

Getting around

Travel on foot for commoners

Ordinary people generally traveled on foot, covering 20 to 35 kilometers per day, as horse-drawn transport like coaches was expensive and largely reserved for the wealthy or official use.

What it cost

Daily wages for laborers

In the late 17th century, day laborers earned about 6 kreuzer for women and up to 18 kreuzer for some skilled laborers like carpenters.