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Kaspar I., Graf von Mansfeld-Hinterort

1520–1542

Born
1520, Buda
Country of birth
Kingdom of Hungary, today Hungary
Died
1542, Hungary
facts
9
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 · Buda

    Birth, Buda

  2. Died · Hungary

    Death, Hungary

What was it like?

The world around Buda, 1520: 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.

Women wore linen shirts and layered skirts or dresses, often adding a fur-lined cloak or suba in cold weather, while unmarried girls walked with uncovered heads. Married women and older women distinguished themselves through head coverings like veils or bonnets, with social status influencing whether materials like silk, brocade, or lace were used.

Fashion

Layered women's clothing and headwear customs

Women wore linen shirts and layered skirts or dresses, often adding a fur-lined cloak or suba in cold weather, while unmarried girls walked with uncovered heads. Married women and older women distinguished themselves through head coverings like veils or bonnets, with social status influencing whether materials like silk, brocade, or lace were used.

Men's daily attire and footwear

Men traditionally wore shirts with trousers or breeches, and in colder weather, they donned the suba, a long, fur-lined, buttoned cloak. While leather boots began to appear due to Ottoman influence, working in the fields often required simple laced sandals called bocskor.

Music

Bagpipes were popular for all social classes

The bagpipe was a popular instrument at all levels of society, heard at weddings, festivals, work parties, and noblemen's balls.

Instruments used in secular-style music performances

In the early 16th century, musicians described heavenly music as being accompanied by fiddle, lute, drum, and cimbalom.

Getting around

Everyday travel methods and preparations

Common travelers, such as poor students or musicians, typically traveled on foot, while wealthier individuals used horses or carriages; noblemen sometimes traveled in large caravans with multiple wagons for food and servants. Because roads were often in poor condition and lacked public infrastructure, travelers frequently relied on their own extensive preparations or local contacts for lodging.

High-speed travel with the Kocs carriage

In the 15th and 16th centuries, travelers in Hungary could reach speeds of 75 kilometers per day using the innovative, internationally recognized Hungarian carriage known as the Kocs carriage. This carriage was so efficient that a trip from Vienna to Buda could be completed in just one day and one night.

Daily life

Dining Customs Without Forks

People typically ate two meals a day, using only knives and spoons, as forks had not yet spread. Dining was communal, with everyone taking food by hand from a single dish.

Limited Education for Children

Ordinary children rarely received formal schooling, though talented youths could attend church-supported schools to learn reading, writing, and Latin. Wealthier children often had private tutors or were sent to study at foreign universities in cities like Vienna or Krakow.

Food

Fish as a daily staple for farmers

Fish was a staple in the diet of many people, with prepared fish like salted, dried, or smoked varieties often serving as daily sustenance for farmers.

Two daily meals of bread and vegetables

Ordinary people in the Kingdom of Hungary typically ate two meals a day, consisting of bread made from rye, barley, or bran, as well as vegetables like cabbage, peas, and lentils.

Prices and wages
Around 1516–1516

Mining Weekly Wages

In 1516, a mine supervisor earned 1 florin per week, while a manual worker earned 50 denars.

Work

Butchers as Wealthy Postmen

The butchers of medieval Hungarian towns were among the wealthiest guild members and frequently served as postmen because they traveled constantly for the cattle trade.

Daily Wages and Purchasing Power

In the early 16th century, common laborers (day laborers) earned 5–9 dénár per day, and it took 20 days of work to earn one gold florin, which was the average price of an ox.

News and letters

How ordinary people sent mail

Ordinary people in the Kingdom of Hungary relied on travelers, merchants, and itinerant tradesmen to deliver their letters and messages.

Travel time for letters and news

Communication between cities was influenced by weather, epidemics, and war, with letters taking weeks or months to arrive. Even urgent messages between royal officials could take several days to be coordinated across regional town networks.

During their lifetime

  1. 1521

    Fall of Belgrade to Ottoman Empire

    In 1521, the Ottoman Empire captured Belgrade, a key fortress that left the Kingdom of Hungary indefensible.

  2. 1526

    Defeat at the Battle of Mohács

    The royal Hungarian army was annihilated by Ottoman forces at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, where King Louis II and thousands of nobles perished.

  3. 1541

    Ottoman capture of Buda

    The capture of the capital city Buda by Ottoman janissary troops in 1541 marked the beginning of Hungary's partition and 150 years of occupation.

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.