Stanisław Grabowski

What people wore

Protective capes for grooming

Both men and women wore protective capes called pudermantle, often made of white fabric, to shield their clothes while grooming their hair with powder.

Getting around

Daily travel distances and speeds

Travel speeds varied significantly: walkers averaged 20-25 km per day, while those using the postal station network could cover 60-100 km daily. Conversely, transporting goods was much slower, often limited to 10-15 km per day.

At the table

Commoners' diet: buckwheat and fermented cabbage

For the middle-class diet, buckwheat groats were considered a delicacy and were used to make a type of cake called tatarczuchy. Additionally, peas and vegetables like cabbage, which was fermented in hollowed-out tree trunks, were staples.

Music

Singing and simple instruments in daily life

In the countryside, singing was a natural form of daily communication for villagers, with repertoires changing according to the seasons, church calendar, and agricultural work such as threshing grain. Instruments like willow whistles or reed pipes were simple items that rural children learned to play while tending geese.

Daily life

Dwellings and Heating in the 18th Century

Commoners often lived in huts built with mud or earth, and many peasant houses lacked chimneys, meaning smoke escaped through roof holes. In contrast, noble houses were designed with a central hall, dining room, and separated rooms, often featuring tiled stoves for heating.

What it cost

Cost of basic goods

In the late 18th century, a pair of shoes cost 3 Polish złotys, while a pound of pork cost 7 groszy and a bushel of peas cost 8 złotys.