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Konstancja Żwanowa

1768–1844

Born
1768, Warsaw
Country of birth
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, today Poland
Died
5 Jun 1844, Dolsk
facts
6
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Warsaw

    Birth, Warsaw

  2. Died · Dolsk

    Death, Dolsk

What was it like?

The world around Warsaw, 1768: 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.

Konstancja was born around the same time as Emma, Lady Hamilton, Gregory XVI, and William IV.

Born around the same time

  • Emma, Lady Hamilton

    1765 · Mistress of Lord Nelson (1765-1815)

  • Gregory XVI

    1765 · Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846 (1765–1846)

  • William IV

    1765 · King of the United Kingdom and Hanover from 1830 to 1837

  • Robert Fulton

    1765 · American engineer and inventor (1765–1815)

  • Nicéphore Niépce

    1765 · French inventor and photographer (1765-1833)

  • Pyotr Bagration

    1765 · General of the Imperial Russian Army (1765–1812)

Fashion

Everyday Undergarments of Women

Fashionable women wore a white, long, and wide shirt called a domieszka as everyday undergarment, while young women often did not wear panties, leaving them for older generations. These shifts were crafted from materials like Dutch linen, muslin, or cambric, and decorated with lace and embroidery.

Restricted Movement in Tight Prussian Uniforms

Prussian soldiers wore tight uniforms and white linen summer breeches that were so fitted they risked splitting if the wearer moved suddenly. They were required to keep their hair powdered, pulled back with a ribbon, and were never seen without their gaiters.

Music
Around 1750–1762

Dance styles in Königsberg during the 1700s

During the mid-18th century in Königsberg, balls featured minuets and gavottes, and popular masquerades included polonaises and quadrilles.

Musical instruments used in local ensembles

Music ensembles at a boarding school in Slutsk regularly used instruments like trumpets, French horns, oboes, violins, and kettledrums purchased in Königsberg.

Getting around

Common vs. noble travel methods

Ordinary travelers used simple carts without springs called calèches or kolasa, while wealthy nobles moved in large caravans of dozens of wagons, sometimes accompanied by exotic animals like camels.

Poor conditions of road inns

Inns were notoriously filthy and poorly equipped, forcing many travelers to sleep on straw in rooms shared with peasants or to camp in fields.

Daily life

Compulsory Schooling for Children

Compulsory education was established for children aged five to fourteen, though in practice attendance varied, and instruction often focused on religion and obedience. Schooling was rudimentary; children typically learned reading and writing, sometimes practicing by writing with chalk on large wooden boards, while arithmetic instruction was very basic.

Hard Labor: Preparing Winter Fuel

In some rural areas, families bundled green pine branches into small, straw-tied packages called Kulelkes to fuel their wide ovens during the winter. A child might be required to chop and tie nine of these bundles every evening after school to ensure the home remained heated.

Food

Meager peasant diet of bread and cereal

Peasant families typically survived on a meager diet consisting of black bread and cereals, often eaten without any added fat. Plain water was their primary beverage.

Mutton served to domestic workers

While beef and veal were preferred by the gentry, mutton was considered less desirable and was frequently served to domestic staff.

Prices and wages

Earnings of skilled journeymen in Berlin

A journeyman craftsman such as a tailor, mason, or carpenter in Berlin typically earned 8 to 9 Taler per month.

Fluctuating price of rye bread grain

In Berlin, a rye bushel (Scheffel, approx. 40kg) typically cost 19 to 20 Groschen, but rose to over 2 Taler during the hunger year of 1771.

Work

Common Jobs in Rural Prussia

Common jobs included small farmers, farm servants on annual contracts, day laborers, and specialized tradespeople like millers, tavern keepers, blacksmiths, and butchers. Many rural families also engaged in cottage industries like weaving to supplement their income.

Memorable Facts on Specialized Trades

A village butcher in Ciepłowody earned 3 silver groschen for every slaughtered pig and 5 silver groschen for every head of cattle. Tavern keepers were often required to purchase and sell beer exclusively from the manorial brewery, paying fees such as 8 silver groschen per barrel.

News and letters

Daily Travel Distances

Travelers could cover 60–100 km per day on post routes, whereas army and goods transport moved much slower at 10–15 km daily.

Fast Postal Service Efficiency

The postal service was surprisingly fast, with standard delivery times between Warsaw and Dresden (about 600–620 km) reduced to three days by 1732.

During their lifetime

  1. 1772

    First Partition of Poland annexations

    Prussia annexed West Prussia, acquiring 36,000 square kilometers and approximately 600,000 people, which significantly impacted local administration and demographics.

  2. 1773

    Construction of the Bydgoski Canal

    The Bydgoski Canal was constructed, creating a vital waterway connection between the Brda and Noteć rivers to improve regional trade transport.

  3. 1794

    Publication of Prussian Civil Code

    The Prussian General Civil Code was published, codifying laws while attempting to balance traditional social structures with Enlightenment principles of legal equality.

  4. 1807

    Abolition of personal serfdom in 1807

    The 1807 decree abolished personal serfdom in the Duchy of Warsaw, allowing peasants to move freely although they remained subject to feudal land duties.

  5. 1817

    Massive road network expansion by 1830

    Between 1817 and 1830, over 1,000 kilometers of new paved roads were built, and regular postal services were established between major cities.

  6. 1830

    November Insurrection begins in 1830

    The November Insurrection in 1830 against Russian rule caused significant instability and triggered migration, particularly for those fleeing the resulting conflict.

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.