Peter I of Serbia

Peter I was King of Serbia from 15 June 1903 to 1 December 1918. On 1 December 1918, he became King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and he held that title until his death three years later. Since he was the king of Serbia during a period of great Serbian military success, he was remembered by Serbians as King Peter the Liberator and also as the Old King.

Forced Changes to Hairstyle Fashion

Prince Miloš issued a mandate to ban a specific, elaborate hairstyle for women that involved tightly braided hair, as it caused hair loss and made it difficult for women to turn their heads. This order reportedly met with such resistance that the authorities had to use force to implement it.

Valuable Heirloom Headwear

Wealthy urban women wore a fez-like cap known as a tepeluk, often heavily decorated with pearls and gold. French scholar Louis Léger recorded seeing these pearl-adorned caps worth one hundred ducats, which were passed down through generations as precious family heirlooms.

The trumpet enters civilian life

Prince Miloš Obrenović ordered the formation of the first official Serbian military band in 1831, which helped transition the trumpet from a battlefield signaling tool into a central instrument for civilian celebrations.

Folk song traditions and gender roles

In the 19th century, Serbian folk music was categorized by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić into men's and women's songs, with women's songs being more numerous and women serving as the primary transmitters of tradition.

Horse-drawn travel and ferry delays

Traveling by car of the country pulled by two horses, a journey from Widdin to the Serbian frontier took six hours. Crossing the Timok river via ferry could be challenging, sometimes taking over an hour due to difficult mud and steep embankments.

Short river trips by boat

River travel was common, and a boat trip from Semlin to Belgrade took about twenty minutes to descend the Danube and ten minutes to ascend the Save. The cost for this short journey by an Austrian rower was five zwanzigers.

Cooking and hygiene habits

Cooking was done on an open fire inside the house, and children often washed using ash-based lye as soap. Families frequently relied on unhealthy water sources, contributing to the spread of diseases among children.

Limited schooling for rural children

Formal schooling was rare for rural children, as they were needed for farm work and household chores. Education for girls was particularly discouraged because it was believed that a girl's place was at home learning domestic skills to prepare for marriage.

Daily habits of coffee and brandy

Coffee was an essential, obligatory daily beverage, typically prepared the Turkish way in a copper pot (džezva) and often served alongside brandy or fruit preserves (slatko). While wine was consumed by the well-to-do, fruit brandy (rakija) was the more common, cheaper, and widely available drink for ordinary people.

Portable bean meals for leaders

For a quick meal, the leader Karađorđe often carried mashed beans (papula) in a flat wooden container, sometimes prepared with oil and garlic during fasting periods, or with lard and cracklings otherwise.

Low average annual tax burden

In 1845, the average annual tax for a Serbian family was approximately four shillings and sixpence.

Prices of pork and lard

In 1884, a kilogram of pork cost 86 para, while lard was significantly more expensive at 144 dinars.

Community Harvest Labor

During the August harvest, peasants assisted each other without payment, with the host providing food and entertainment for their laboring guests.

Hospitality to Travelers

Travelers in need of lodging were welcomed by the largest house in a village, where the host provided food and bed without charge, often even borrowing from neighbors to treat the guest well.