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Prince Franz Alexander, 9th Prince of Isenburg

1943–2018

Born
22 Jul 1943, Birstein
Country of birth
Germany
Died
5 May 2018
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 · Birstein

    Birth, Birstein

  2. Child born: Archduchess Katharina, Archduchess Martin of Austria-Este

    Birth

  3. Died

    Death

What was it like?

The world around Birstein, 1943: 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.

Prince was born around the same time as Gerhard Schröder, Franz Beckenbauer, and John Lennon.

Born around the same time

  • Gerhard Schröder

    1944 · Chancellor of West Germany (1998–2005)

  • Franz Beckenbauer

    1945 · German sports official and association football player (1945–2024)

  • John Lennon

    1940 · British musician (1940–1980)

  • Pelé

    1940 · Brazilian footballer (1940–2022)

  • Bruce Lee

    1940 · Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor (1940–1973)

  • Muhammad Ali

    1942 · American boxer (1942–2016)

Fashion
Around 1950–1955

Perlon Lingerie Symbolized Progress

In the early 1950s, women embraced Perlon garments, such as lingerie, because they could be hand-washed in the evening and dried overnight without needing ironing. This was marketed to housewives as a symbol of progress and time-saving convenience.

Around 1925–1933

Functional fashions replaced the corset

In the 1920s, the corset fell out of fashion, replaced by functional dresses without emphasized waists and shorter hemlines ranging from knee to calf length. Women often used foundation garments like hip-shaping belts to achieve the modern silhouette.

Music
Around 1950–1959

Milk bars and jukebox music

Youths frequently visited milk bars to drink milkshakes and listen to music on Wurlitzer jukeboxes, which cost one groschen per selection. Alcohol was prohibited in these establishments for those under 21 years old.

Around 1925–1933

Popular dances and home music consumption

People embraced new dances like the Charleston, foxtrot, shimmy, and tango, often using record players and radios to enjoy the music at home.

Getting around
Around 1950–1950

Slow 1950 train travel speeds

In 1950, a 91-kilometer train journey from Bocholt to Münster took 2 hours and 38 minutes, averaging less than 35 km/h.

Around 1950–1950

Train travel costs in 1950

A 1950 third-class train ticket from Bocholt to Münster cost 5.50 DM, while a platform ticket required for companions cost 10 Pfennig.

Daily life

Schooling and Daily Costs for Children

Children typically attended day schools, carrying their books and lunches in long tin satchels. At schools like the Pestalozzi Fröbel Haus, pupils could purchase milk for 5 pfennigs or dine at school for 10 pfennigs.

Around 1925–1933

Modern Apartments with Running Water

New public housing apartments offered improved living conditions with central heating, built-in kitchens, and private bathrooms featuring hot and cold running water. Such modern units were rare and highly sought after, with some families waiting years on urgent priority lists to secure them.

Food
Around 1950–1959

Prosperity Symbolized by Hearty Meals

Following the scarcity of the postwar years, a "wave of eating" began in the mid-1950s where hearty portions of potatoes, thick sauces, and pork roast with fat crust became symbols of newfound prosperity.

Around 1950–1959

Shrimp Peeling Wages

In the 1950s, a skilled shrimp peeler could process six pounds of shrimp per hour and earned 2.15 Deutsche Mark for this labor.

Work
Around 1925–1933

Memorable Factory Work Facts

Factory tasks often relied on team piecework where productivity quotas were strictly enforced, and breakfast breaks were sometimes staggered so machines would not stop running. Workers in textile factories sometimes operated a neighboring worker's machine during their own designated break times to ensure continuous output.

Around 1925–1933

The Reality of the Working Day

Although an eight-hour day was a major victory in 1918, it was frequently violated; some workers reported days starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m., while others worked until 7:30 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. Shifts were common, and factory work often continued on Saturdays, with some employees working every other Saturday.

News and letters

Field post delivery times during wartime

During World War II, field post delivery times varied by front; for example, mail to the northern Eastern Front took 5 to 9 days, while mail to the southern Eastern Front took 12 to 16 days.

Berlin pneumatic tube mail system

Berlin used a pneumatic tube system (Rohrpost) with speeds up to 50 km/h to rapidly transport urgent documents like telegrams across the city through 255 kilometers of tubes.

During their lifetime

  1. 1961

    Berlin Wall separates nation in 1961

    The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 ended free movement from East Germany and created a death strip that separated families for decades.

  2. 1992

    Record asylum applications in 1992

    In 1992, the number of asylum seekers in the Federal Republic reached a record high of over 438,000, following the collapse of the Eastern bloc.

Family

Spouses

Children

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.