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Karl Friedrich Hermann von Freystedt

1749–1795

Born
18 Nov 1749, Karlsruhe
Country of birth
Germany
Died
20 Dec 1795, Karlsruhe
facts
7
sources
1
images and files
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Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Karlsruhe

    Birth, Karlsruhe

  2. Died · Karlsruhe

    Death, Karlsruhe

What was it like?

The world around Karlsruhe, 1749: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Karl was born the same year as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Vittorio Alfieri, and Lorenzo Da Ponte.

Born the same year

  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    German writer, artist, natural scientist and politician (1749–1832)

  • Vittorio Alfieri

    Italian noble, dramatist and poet (1749–1803)

  • Lorenzo Da Ponte

    Italian opera librettist, poet and Roman Catholic priest (1749–1838)

  • Domenico Cimarosa

    Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school (1749–1801)

  • Pierre-Simon Laplace

    French mathematician and astronomer (1749–1827)

  • Edward Jenner

    English physician, scientist and pioneer of vaccination (1749–1823)

Fashion
Around 1750–1774

Noble Men Preferred Wigs Over Beards

In the 18th century, noble men famously wore wigs and makeup, while facial hair was strictly shunned for most men, marking a major departure from later masculine standards.

Around 1750–1774

Practical Work Clothes for Women

Working women wore practical, loose-fitting clothing like an apron, headscarf, and cap, with shorter skirts and wide sleeves to allow free arm movement while handling water, fire, or animals.

Music
Around 1748–1748

Extensive hymn book for Prussian churches

A comprehensive hymn book published in 1748 contained 1,062 selected spiritual songs used in evangelical churches across the Kingdom of Prussia.

Hautboisten provided common musical entertainment

Hautboisten, who were professional wind ensembles, were among the primary providers of musical entertainment in Prussian lands during the first half of the 18th century.

Getting around

Difficulties of traveling on Prussian roads

In the 18th century, travel in Prussia was notoriously difficult due to poor roads, with some passengers joking that they could have walked faster than the carriage. A coachman could even abandon a passenger on the road if the passenger struck them or complained too aggressively.

Diverse modes and speeds of travel

While the wealthy could use express post services to travel faster, a large portion of the population traveled between towns on foot, including traders and pilgrims. Traveling with a large entourage, such as a queen's court, was significantly slower due to the need for frequent stops and local greetings.

Daily life

Irregular school attendance and teaching

Prussian schooling was often erratic, with children frequently absent during summer months to work on farms or when families were required to pay fines for failing to send them. Many schools lacked trained teachers, relying instead on local sextons, discharged soldiers, or day laborers who often struggled to teach basic reading and arithmetic.

Simple peasant and town housing

Common peasant homes were simple one or two-room timber-framed structures, often dominated by a central hearth used for both warmth and cooking meals like bread and potatoes. In some planned towns, houses were built without cellars and partitioned into two equal living spaces to accommodate two families each.

Food
Around 1740–1740

Daily rations of simple fare

For everyday meals, domestic staff and farm workers were served a daily ration of bread soaked in milk, whey, or thin beer. They also consumed porridge and seasonal vegetables like beans or peas, with meat served only on Sundays or special holidays.

Introduction of the Potato

Although potatoes were introduced in 1727, they were initially met with skepticism by the public, who often did not know how to cultivate them properly. Over time, they became a crucial food source for the poor due to their reliability and ability to prevent famine.

Prices and wages

Grain prices in Berlin

In 1740, a bushel of rye in Berlin cost 1 thaler and 21 groschen due to a bad harvest, though prices typically stabilized between 19 and 20 groschen until the Seven Years' War. At the time, one thaler was equal to 24 groschen.

Around 1752–1752

Annual servant wages in 1752

Annual wages for a head farmhand were set at 12 Taler, while a maid earned 6 Taler under the 1752 servant regulations.

Work

Common occupations and labor obligations

Most ordinary people were village farmers who worked as fullholders, halfholders, or smallholders, often supplementing farming with cottage industries like spinning, weaving, or basic woodworking. Many were legal subjects of a local lordship, rendering rent through grain, cash, or compulsory labor known as Frondienst.

Mandatory spinning for workers

A 1723 royal edict mandated that street vendors and unemployed servants spin one pound of wool weekly, and even craftswomen or merchants' daughters were forbidden from sitting idle while at market stalls. They were required to spend their time spinning wool or flax, knitting, or sewing instead.

News and letters
Around 1750–1774

Costs for receipts and complex fees

To obtain a receipt for money or valuable letters, senders had to pay an extra fee of 1 or 2 ß (Schilling) to the postmaster. Fees for postal services were complex and often led to heated arguments between clerks and customers.

Around 1750–1774

Newspapers as a lucrative postal monopoly

Newspapers were a profitable monopoly for postmasters, who bought them at a fixed price and charged readers a high premium to resell them. In smaller towns, readers paid dearly for this service and often suffered from significant delivery delays.

During their lifetime

  1. 1756

    Seven Years' War casualties and destruction

    During the Seven Years' War, some 160,000 Prussian soldiers died in battle or from disease, devastating the population.

  2. 1766

    State monopolies on consumer goods introduced

    A new tax and excise ordinance in 1766 created state monopolies on items including tobacco, coffee, and porcelain.

  3. 1770

    Migration during the 1770-71 famine

    During the great famines of 1770–71, peasants from other parts of Germany migrated to Prussia where food supplies were more accessible.

  4. 1794

    Unified Prussian civil law code enacted

    A unified civil law code for Prussia was developed, ultimately taking effect in 1794 to ensure more honest and efficient justice.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.