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Johann Reinhard II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg

Bouxwiller, 23 Jan 1628 – Rheinau, 25 Apr 1666

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 23 Jan 1628

    Born in Bouxwiller

  2. 1660–1665

    3 children are born

  3. 25 Apr 1666

    Dies in Rheinau, aged 38

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 3

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1620s · Johann is born in Bouxwiller

In the news1626–1632

Great plague outbreak kills one million

Between 1626 and 1632, a devastating plague outbreak killed approximately one million people, causing many towns to lose one-third to one-quarter of their inhabitants.

Getting around

Carriages were mostly for the wealthy

While wealthy travelers used private carriages, these vehicles were unaffordable for most people, who relied on walking or slower, less comfortable public coaches.

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.

Daily life

Water access and sanitation challenges

Water in cities was often fetched from public wells or carried from the river, and because Seine water was polluted by waste, aqueducts were increasingly used to bring cleaner spring water to public fountains. Modest households managed sanitation manually, often relying on daily routines to dispose of refuse and chamber pots.

What people wore

Clothing debt settled for 6 livres, 8 sols

In 1626, a servant named Jean Trottier received a new doublet made of coarse linen, a white frieze waistcoat, and white serge hose, which settled a debt of 6 livres and 8 sols.

Music

Popularity of drinking songs in 17th-century France

Drinking songs, or airs à boire, were a popular form of entertainment enjoyed by diverse social groups in cabarets and taverns. These songs were valued for their accessible melodies and seducing poetic themes, deeply rooted in the culture of intoxication.

At the table

Wine and cider over water

Fermented drinks like wine or cider were preferred over water, which was often considered unhealthy or unsafe to drink. People frequently drank inferior quality wine known as piquette, although better wine could be purchased for popular celebrations for ten sous per pint.