Skip to content
VitrineRoyal Houses of Europe
Sign in

Albert Brenninkmeijer

b. 1974

Born
16 May 1974, La Celle-Saint-Cloud
Country of birth
France

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

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 · La Celle-Saint-Cloud

    Birth, La Celle-Saint-Cloud

What was it like?

The world around La Celle-Saint-Cloud, 1974: 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.

In the 1970s, 31% of women over age 47 in the Pays Bigouden region of Brittany still regularly wore the traditional towering lace hat known as the coiffe bigouden.

Fashion

Traditional Breton headwear usage

In the 1970s, 31% of women over age 47 in the Pays Bigouden region of Brittany still regularly wore the traditional towering lace hat known as the coiffe bigouden.

Trousers were rare for women

For much of this period, trousers on women were rare and socially unconventional for daily life, often restricted to casual settings like holidays or specific professional environments.

Music

Dance Rituals and Social Life

The village dance served as an important social hub where attendees danced the waltz, tango, paso doble, and the java. Mothers often accompanied their daughters to these events, which functioned as both popular celebrations and unofficial marriage markets.

Traditional Regional Dances and Instruments

In the Massif Central, the bourrée remained a traditional dance accompanied by instruments like the cabrette bagpipe, fiddle, or hurdy-gurdy. While some folk dances used complex rhythms, musicians frequently adapted their repertoires to include more modern sounds like the accordion.

Getting around
Around 1975–1999

Canal du Midi commercial navigation ends

Commercial navigation on the Canal du Midi, which had long relied on horse-drawn boats, came to an end in 1979.

Around 1975–1999

France's TGV revolutionizes travel times

In 1981, France inaugurated its first high-speed train (TGV), which reduced travel time between Paris and Lyon from 3 hours and 40 minutes to 2 hours and 40 minutes. By 1983, this journey was further reduced to 2 hours.

Daily life

Daily life and schooling for children

In 1957, primary school children attended classes six days a week, including Saturdays, and many rural students learned in a single classroom with one teacher for all levels. That same year, a reform eliminated homework for primary schools.

Improving domestic sanitation and running water

In 1954, only 10 percent of French households had a shower or bathtub, and over 40 percent lacked running water. By the end of the period, the majority of the population had gained access to fully equipped, modern dwellings.

Food
Around 1963–1964

French dietary preferences in the 1960s

In the early 1960s, French households stood out for their high consumption of relatively expensive items like veal, poultry, fresh vegetables, and wine.

Around 1975–1999

Frozen food usage grew rapidly

Between the 1970s and 1990s, French household consumption of frozen foods increased significantly, as families sought practical alternatives to traditional cooking due to time constraints.

Prices and wages
Around 1975–1975

Baguette cost and effort in 1975

In 1975, a baguette cost 0.89 francs, and it took about 7.3 minutes of work at the minimum wage to earn it.

Around 1975–1975

Price of chicken in 1975

A kilogram of chicken cost 11.90 francs in 1975, requiring 1 hour and 42 minutes of labor at the minimum wage.

Work
Around 1975–1999

Shifting Job Market and Workforce Composition

Between 1975 and 1999, the service sector grew significantly while manual manufacturing jobs declined, with a notable increase in part-time work and a higher proportion of women in the workforce.

Around 1975–1999

Shorter Workweeks and Rising Screen Time

Workers saw their weekly professional working time decrease by several hours, while everyday habits shifted toward more television, which grew from about 75 minutes to nearly two hours daily.

News and letters
Around 1975–1984

Paris pneumatic mail delivery times

The Paris pneumatic tube system, or pneu, allowed Parisians to send letters across the city in about two hours using compressed air canisters. It was particularly useful for urgent communication, such as theater tickets, bill payments, or personal messages.

Around 1975–1984

Rising costs and decline of pneu mail

By the 1970s, the cost of sending a pneu was approximately eight times the price of a standard letter. The service was ultimately abolished in 1984 as it became obsolete due to the rise of telephones and other modern communication technologies.

During their lifetime

  1. 1975

    Legalization of abortion

    The 1975 Veil Law legalized abortion in France under specific circumstances, marking a major shift in women's rights.

  2. 1982

    Reduction of work week to 39 hours

    In 1982, the work week was reduced to 39 hours and employees received a fifth week of paid vacation.

  3. 2000

    Implementation of 35-hour work week

    France transitioned to a 35-hour work week in 2000, continuing efforts to promote job creation and balance.

Family

Parents

Spouses

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.