Haakon VII of Norway

Haakon VII was King of Norway from 1905 until his death in 1957.

Amager women's extensive apron collection

Amager women often maintained a wardrobe extensive enough to require 11 different aprons to ensure they had an appropriate outfit for every specific occasion.

Complex tailoring of men's shirts

A traditional Danish man's shirt was often constructed from 15 separate pieces of linen, which were carefully cut from a single piece of fabric to minimize waste and costs.

Dance music and religious singing at home

While the fiddle became the dominant instrument for dance music, 19th-century social gatherings frequently featured popular new round dances such as the waltz, polka, and mazurka. Music was central to the home, with hymnals serving as essential religious guides for families during private devotions.

Wedding dances and lively music traditions

During 19th-century weddings, musicians played for dancers from the afternoon until the following morning. Traditional chain dances were common, and musicians were often paid by passing a plate around, sometimes playfully involving items like a wooden shoe to prompt guests to contribute more.

Railway speed versus stagecoaches

In 1876, the new railway reduced the travel time between Odense and Svendborg from 5.5 hours by stagecoach to 95-100 minutes by passenger train.

Long stagecoach journeys across Denmark

A journey by stagecoach from Aarhus to Copenhagen in 1863 lasted two and a half days, with the final 15 hours spent traveling through the night.

Dark, unlit homes for the poor

Poorer workers' homes lacked running water and electricity, relying on small windows for light and petroleum lamps that were smoky and flammable.

Lack of indoor toilets

Toilets were not present inside homes; instead, families used communal sheds in courtyards or on back stairs that emptied into pits.

Poverty limited working-class diet

In 1872, a mother could earn 25 øre by making 500 small fire starters, which was only enough to buy a quarter of a rye bread and 2 kg of fat for the family. Because of extreme poverty, many working-class families had to rely on fat-smeared bread when they could not afford hot meals.

Daily meal patterns and beer porridge

In ordinary families, the father ate five meals a day to sustain hard labor, while mothers and children typically ate three. Breakfast for many often consisted of beer porridge (øllebrød) and a piece of salted herring.

Budget of a Copenhagen worker's family, 1872

In 1872, a worker in Copenhagen earning 14 kroner per week had to prioritize spending on food, as feeding each child cost an additional 90 kroner annually.

Weekly income of a Copenhagen worker in 1872

In 1872, a worker in Copenhagen earned 14 kroner per week to support a family of five. This income was often insufficient to cover even basic needs, forcing children and wives to work as well.

Wages and long hours in 1872

In 1872, an urban industrial workman in Copenhagen earned an average of 2.73 kroner per day, while the working day lasted ten to eleven hours, excluding meal breaks.

Gender wage gap in Denmark

Female workers were paid only 40 to 50 percent of the wages earned by their male counterparts during this period.