Elisabeth, Freiin Joel von Franking, Heiress von Riedau

What people wore

Strict dress codes governed social class

In the 16th century, strict dress codes enforced social hierarchy, often forbidding peasants from wearing elite symbols like feathers on their hats or the color red.

Daily life

Long school days and set schedule

In 1586, school days lasted seven hours, starting at 6:00 a.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m. in winter, with subjects including religion, reading, writing, and singing.

Work

Moonlighting militia in the cities

City militia members, whose military pay was meagre, often supplemented their income by working as bakers, cobblers, or innkeepers.

Music

Instruments used in 16th-century Austrian music

In the late 16th century, musicians in Austrian regions played instruments such as recorders, trombones, cornetti, lutes, harps, and viols, as seen in period iconography and monastery artifacts.

At the table

Beverages and Fasting Rules

Commoners frequently drank beer, which was often brewed locally by inns or breweries and was typically darker and lower in alcohol than modern beer. During fast days, which could number up to 150 annually, consumption of meat was restricted, leading to a reliance on fish, vegetables like cabbage and turnips, and legumes.

Getting around

Slow daily travel for stage coaches

Stage coaches in the late 16th century traveled only about 37 kilometers on average per day due to poor roads and the varying widths of wheel tracks.

What it cost

Daily worker wages in Vienna

Between 1575 and 1599, a daily wage for a worker in Vienna typically ranged from 7 to 10 kreuzer.