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Alexander Sigismund von der Pfalz-Neuburg

Neuburg an der Donau, 16 Apr 1663 – Augsburg, 24 Jan 1737

9 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

  • Born16 Apr 1663, Neuburg an der Donaunot verified1 source
  • TitleRoman Catholic Bishop of Augsburg, 1690or Prince-Bishop, 1690–1737not verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Bishop, 1690–1737or Roman Catholic Bishop of Augsburg, 1690not verified1 source
  • Died24 Jan 1737, Augsburgnot verified1 source
  • FatherPhilip William, Elector Palatinenot verified1 source
  • MotherLandgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadtnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 16 Apr 1663

    Born in Neuburg an der Donau

  2. 1690

    Roman Catholic Bishop of Augsburg

  3. 1690–1737

    Prince-Bishop

  4. 24 Jan 1737

    Dies in Augsburg, aged 73

Family

See the tree

Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Neuburg an der Donau.

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

The 1660s · Alexander is born in Neuburg an der Donau

In the news1660

Invention of the berlin carriage

The carriage known as the berlin was developed in Berlin, quickly becoming the most popular horse-drawn vehicle of the century.

At the table

Daily Porridge Habits

Because meat was expensive and rarely eaten, families often relied on a thick, long-cooking grain porridge as their primary warm meal. To stretch the food, they frequently reheated it, resulting in a thick, semi-solid consistency.

What people wore

Hat with a hidden storage bag

The Scheessel Winkelmann hat was designed with a secret fabric bag inside, which allowed the wearer to carry a hymnal, bread, and a flask while on the go.

Getting around

River travel from Regensburg to Vienna

Starting in 1696, boats called 'Ordinari' transported passengers down the Danube from Regensburg to Vienna, a distance of about 450 kilometers that took at least one week.

Work

Rural Dominance and Shared Household Living

About 80 to 90 percent of the population lived in rural areas, working as farmers or laborers, while town dwellers often worked in skilled crafts or trade. Rural life was dominated by subsistence farming, where families shared their homes with livestock and often rendered labor services to a landlord.

Music

Musical Cradle Devotions and Festive Processions

During Christmas, Jesuits organized cradle devotions, where a constructed cradle containing a figure of the Christ child was rocked to the sound of music. Music was also used in processions, often involving bells, trumpets, military drums, and even the discharge of muskets and cannons.

Daily life

Dark and smoky rural homes

Rural homes often lacked chimneys, causing smoke from open hearths to fill living areas with poor air. Many houses were dark, with only small windows or simple peep-holes.