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Archduchess Helena of Austria

Vienna, 17 Jan 1543 – Hall in Tirol, 15 Mar 1574

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 17 Jan 1543

    Born in Vienna

  2. 15 Mar 1574

    Dies in Hall in Tirol, aged 31

Family

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Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Vienna.

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

The 1540s · Archduchess is born in Vienna

In the news1545

Introduction of drawbar wagons

In 1545, new vehicles called drawbar wagons (Deichselwägen) began to be used in the area above the Enns.

Getting around

Travel by horse or donkey

While wealthy individuals traveled on horseback, those wishing to show humility often chose to ride a donkey.

In the news1540

Vienna's first plague ordinance established

To combat the plague, Vienna established its first official infection ordinance in 1540 to organize isolation and public health measures.

Daily life

Dark and smoky homes

Homes were dark, cold, and smoky, often featuring very small windows that provided little daylight and lacking chimneys for the open fires used for cooking.

What people wore

Cloth functioned as valuable currency

In the 16th century, cloth was so valuable that it was often used as a form of currency to pay workers. Because clothing was expensive, it was rarely discarded and instead circulated through society via pawning, second-hand markets, and inheritance.

Music

Paying Musicians for Weddings

City wedding regulations in 1489 set specific fees for musicians, such as two guilders for brass and wind players or half a guilder for bagpipers, fiddlers, and drummers. Status often dictated which musicians could be hired for celebrations.

At the table

Common beverages of the period

Beer was the common daily drink, having completely replaced mead in many areas by 1500, while apple and pear cider (Most) was also traditional. Wine was typically reserved for the upper classes and official gatherings.